Adylbek Kasymaliev was on December 18 announced as the new Head of the Cabinet of Ministers and Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, succeeding Akylbek Japarov who was dismissed two days ago amid investigations into a State Tax Service corruption scandal.

Sixty-four-year-old Kasymaliev for two years served as first deputy to Japarov. A 1984 economics graduate of the Leningrad Institute of Finance and Economics, he was finance minister between 2015 and 2018.

December 18 also saw the head of Kyrgyzstan’s state security services, Kamchybek Tashiyev, share details of the alleged corruption scheme, which, he claimed, may have cost the state almost $350mn. The scandal became public knowledge in early December with a mass arrest of tax officials, including the head and a deputy head of the State Tax Service. The senior tax officials and others remain under investigation for allegedly colluding with businesses to manipulate electronic documentation to evade excise taxes on tobacco and alcoholic beverages.

At a meeting of parliament on December 18, President Sadyr Japarov (no relation to Akylbek Japarov) explained why he dismissed Akylbek Japarov, who was in post for just over three years, as per 24.kg.

He was cited as saying: “We were very upset by the negative manifestations in the tax system. Frauds related to excise stamps were revealed. This industry was under the control of Akylbek Usenbekovich [Japarov], accordingly, it was possible to stop illegal actions. I was forced to remove him from office due to the criminal case under investigation against the management of the State Tax Service in order to eliminate the conflict of interest.”

Announcing another appointment, the Cabinet of Ministers said Bakyt Sydykov was appointed Minister of Economy and Commerce.

Forty-six-year-old Sydykov was head of the Department of Political and Economic Research of the Presidential Administration. He also represented the president on the supervisory board of the Community Development and Investment Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic.