Makstat Nusuvaliyev. Photo: aki.kg
The mayor of Tokmok, a city in Kyrgyzstan’s Chüy Region, Maksat Nusuvaliyev, was detained on June 24 during a meeting chaired by Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS). According to Economist.kg, Tashiev personally gave the order for Nusuvaliyev’s arrest.
Also taken into custody were Tokmok’s head of municipal property management, Alisher Turatbek uulu, and the general director of the construction company Al-Kadr (whose full name has not been disclosed).
Eyewitnesses report that at a certain point in the meeting, held at Tokmok’s city administration building, Tashiev gave the order: “That’s it—take them out.” Officers from the SCNS then escorted the three detainees from the premises.
Preliminary reports suggest the detentions are linked to suspected violations by officials and a business executive in the implementation of infrastructure projects in Tokmok. The individuals are now suspects in a criminal corruption case opened by the SCNS and the local prosecutor’s office.
According to media sources, the investigation was prompted by numerous complaints from residents of Tokmok’s first and third microdistricts over delays and substandard work on two major projects in 2024: the construction of a new park and the renovation of a sports school. City council members have stated that roughly 1 billion soms (around $11.5 million) was allocated for both projects. However, residents allege serious violations in construction standards—such as poorly laid paving stones, a non-functional irrigation system, and streetlights that sway in the wind.
City deputies had previously recorded a video appeal to President Sadyr Japarov and SCNS chief Tashiev, urging them to investigate and take action. Local authorities had invited both leaders to Tokmok to assess the situation firsthand.
Ultimately, Tashiev visited the city himself and convened a meeting during which the mayor, his subordinate, and the construction company director were arrested.
