Bakiyev’s business in Belarus

Kurmanbek Bakiyev’s business may have been discovered in Belarus. The structures of the ex-President of Kyrgyzstan may be in charge of the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation, tut.by refers to ‘two well-informed sources’. The corporation is preparing to realize projects costing 1 billion dollars.

The construction project of a high-tech complex on 160 hectares of land near Rudzensk (Puhavichy District) was described by naviny.by a week ago. Alyaksandr Lukashenka approved its creation in August 2016. The company Regan Foundation involved in the notorious Panama Archives is connected with the project. The Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation mentioned above is realizing the project. Minsk Province Executive Committee owns 33% of its shares but the main owners are two Canadian companies — Biotech Agriculture International Inc. and Agro Industries International Inc. (27% and 25% respectively). Its shareholder is Pregan Foundation mentioned above. It is not clear who is in charge of this company.

The project near Rudzensk is being financed by the Belarusian National Biotechnology Corporation and with the help of credits (China may give a preferential credit), tut.by reports. Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his sons may be in charge of it, unofficial sources report. They used to realize a similar project in Kyrgyzstan. The Bakiyevs are partially financing the creation of the agricultural complex, an anonymous source reports.

The ex-President of Kyrgyzstan has been living in Belarus since 2010. Bishkek demanded his extradition many times because criminal cases had been started against Bakiyev there. However, the Belarusian authorities are refusing to extradite him. Bakiyev is a Belarusian citizen now. The criminal cases were ‘framed-up’, he says. Kurmanbek Bakiyev presented his memoirs in Minsk in October 2015.