MOSCOW: Kyrgyzstan has detained a prominent opposition leader on charges of fraud and corruption, claims that his supporters say are politically motivated.
A press representative of the State Committee for National Security, or GKNB, said that Omurbek Tekebayev is alleged to have received a $1 million bribe from a Russian businessman when he was serving as deputy prime minister in 2010 for the Central Asian nation.
Tekebayev, the leader of Kyrgyzstan’s Ata-Meken party, has vigorously denied the charges.
Supporters are holding demonstrations to protest the arrest, which occurred shortly after Tekebayev arrived in Bishkek airport early Sunday on a flight from Vienna.
Kyrgyzstan has opened a string of criminal cases against opposition figures in recent months that critics allege are politically motivated. Presidential elections in the landlocked country are scheduled for November.
Protests erupt after Kyrgyzstan arrests opposition leader
Protests erupt after Kyrgyzstan arrests opposition leader
