• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Kyrgyz deputy PM urges probe into governmental phone conversation leaks

RIA Novosti

15:1025/05/2010 BISHKEK, May 25 (RIA Novosti) - First Deputy Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz interim government Almazbek Atambayev has urged an investigation into the publishing on the internet of tapped telephone conversations between interim government officials.

Incriminating records of telephone conversations between three members of the interim government were published on the internet earlier in May. Comments about money-related issues sparked suspicions of embezzlement of budget funds by interim officials.

The interim government later issued a statement saying that "$1 million" mentioned in the conversation was intended to be spent on assuring public order in the protest-hit Central Asian republic.

"If there are facts that everyone is aware of, we should investigate them thoroughly," said Atambayev, who was allegedly one of those speaking in the tapped phone call.

"Tomorrow 30,000 could be on the streets demanding the truth from the interim government," he said. "Don't the people have the right to know the truth?"

Violent street clashes have become commonplace in Kyrgyzstan since the April 7-8 coup d'etat overthrew President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, bringing the opposition to power. Bakiyev fled the country and has taken refuge in Belarus.

Atambayev said the interim authorities were honest people who "sometimes make mistakes."

He said he did not propose the resignation of certain members of the interim government, but wanted the situation to be clarified and the guilty parties to be punished.

He also urged that money from the Kyrgyz Development Fund, which was previously controlled by ousted president Bakiyev's son, to be transferred to interim government's bank accounts as soon as possible.

He said the delay in the money transfer meant the interim authorities could not begin reconstructing roads and local administration buildings damaged during pro-Bakiyev protests in the republic's south.