Ex-Kyrgyzkomur Chief Accuses Lawmaker of Pressure, 'Coal Mafia' Revenge

Kairat Mamatov, the former general director of the state enterprise Kyrgyzkomur, has officially denied accusations leveled against him by lawmaker Nurbek Sydygaliev. Mamatov claims the allegations are a "planned revenge by the coal mafia" for his anti-corruption efforts at the company.

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all the accusations made against me are unfounded and aimed at discrediting my professional reputation.

According to Mamatov, the charges are baseless and intended to damage his professional reputation. He asserts that the conflict stems from reforms he initiated at Kyrgyzkomur and its Kara-Keche branch, which he believes threatened corrupt groups. Mamatov highlighted the company's financial turnaround under his leadership, stating that Kyrgyzkomur went from a loss of 181 million som in 2023 to projected net profits of 333 million and 511 million som for 2024-2025. He also noted that a debt of approximately one billion som was fully repaid by 2025.

Mamatov alleges that pressure from the lawmaker began after his appointment in autumn 2024. He claims Sydygaliev demanded the appointment of loyal personnel to leadership positions at the Kara-Keche branch and later sought assistance with election campaigning, which Mamatov refused. Mamatov also pointed to a conflict of interest, suggesting the lawmaker is connected to former enterprise executives facing embezzlement investigations.

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planned revenge by the coal mafia

Consequently, Mamatov has appealed to the Prosecutor General and the head of the State Committee for National Security. He requests a legal assessment of the lawmaker's actions, an investigation into potential conflicts of interest, and an examination of alleged pressure exerted on the state enterprise's management.

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the lawmaker demanded the appointment of loyal employees to leadership positions in the Kara-Keche branch, and later assistance in conducting pre-election campaigning.