Checks at Kumtor: Bolturuk was criticized at the Parliament, 24 June 2022

[Translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

Following the Accounts Chamber, the activities of CJSC Kumtor Gold Company will be checked by law enforcement agencies.

On June 23, at a meeting of Jogorku Kenesh, criticism was again expressed against the head of the national holding "Heritage of Great Nomads" Tengiz Bolturuk. Deputy Kunduzbek Sulaimanov demanded a report from him: "Recently, our colleague Zhenish Shermamatovich (Toktorbaev - ed.) raised the issue of Kumtor and spoke about Tengiz Bolturuk. As I understand it, Tengiz Bolturuk spends Kumtor's money at his own discretion, without coordinating expenses with you. Pay attention to this question, you did not keep track of 50 million soms. Does he not consult with you? It would be nice to have a report on the work of Tengiz Bolturuk for the year."...

A week earlier, the Parliament criticized the move of the Kumtor Gold Company from the state-owned Uchkun building to an expensive private office in downtown Bishkek. According to people's deputy Jenishbek Toktorbaev, the monthly rent of an office of 5,000 square meters will cost 120,000 dollars, for which he criticized the chairman of the national holding, Tengiz Bolturuk...

A number of civil society representatives criticize the activities of Tengiz Bolturuk, the head of the "Great Nomad Heritage" National Holding, which owns the Kumtor mine.

Information is often published on the website of Kumtor Gold Company CJSC that the head of the holding, Tengiz Bolturuk, on behalf of the company, donates machinery and equipment to various departments for charity purposes...

Opposition politicians in the country have for a long time demanded openness in the activities at the Kumtor mine. According to one of them, politician Bektur Asanov, the authorities, who perceive the return of Kumtor to Kyrgyzstan as a success, should pay attention to the activity and personnel policy at the enterprise.

“We don't know anything about Kumtor. How much gold was mined, where is it stored? In addition, there is no information on salaries and expenses for technical equipment. Everything is hidden, which causes suspicion. It shouldn't be like this,” the politician said...