Acting Prosecutor General: 36 criminal cases opened over complaints against SCNS

Thirty-six criminal cases have been opened following complaints from business owners over alleged unlawful actions by officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), Acting Prosecutor General of Kyrgyzstan Malik Bekturganov told journalists.

According to him, the cases are being investigated by the Military Prosecutor’s Office.

«Charges have been brought against 24 SCNS officers. The remaining defendants are civilians. The work is ongoing and the investigation continues,» Malik Bekturganov said.

Earlier today, at a parliamentary committee meeting, MP Dastan Bekeshev said the Prosecutor General’s Office had previously registered 386 complaints concerning actions by SCNS officers.

In April, then-Prosecutor General Maksat Asanaliev reported 386 complaints over alleged unlawful actions by SCNS personnel. At the time, the Military Prosecutor’s Office was investigating 18 criminal cases, and nine security service officers had been detained.

In June, SCNS Deputy Chairman Alisher Erbaev said that, as part of reforms within the agency, 96 officers had been removed from service and criminal cases had been opened against 24 of them.