President Japarov alleges ex-Kumtor manager Boltrukov committed violations, including $6,000 chair purchase

President Sadyr Japarov has accused former Kumtor external manager Tengiz Boltrukov of significant legal violations and financial misconduct during his tenure. In an interview on journalist Ali Toktakunov's YouTube channel, Japarov detailed how Boltrukov allegedly engaged in corrupt practices, including inflating fuel prices and making unauthorized purchases.

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I asked Akylbek Japarov to find Tengiz Boltrukov, he found him within a week, and we met. At that time, we agreed to send him to the Board of Directors to collect documents before the process began, and to have him work there.

Japarov recounted his initial meeting with Boltrukov after coming to power in 2020, where they discussed plans to bring the mine under state control. He claimed Boltrukov failed to provide crucial documents and instead reported that information was being withheld from him. The president also revealed that the state had to issue a public statement assuring investors that Kumtor would not be seized before the denunciation process began, to avoid costly shutdowns and restarts.

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He did not bring a single confidential document during his work, and said that everything was being hidden from him.

According to Japarov, Boltrukov's alleged misconduct included authorizing the rental of office space from a member of an organized crime group and furnishing it with expensive items, such as a $6,000 chair. Japarov stated he had warned Boltrukov to adhere to European management standards and prevent theft, but the former manager allegedly disregarded these instructions. Furthermore, Japarov cited reports of Boltrukov distributing funds to various companies and athletes under the guise of sponsorship, and profiting from inflated diesel prices for Kumtor, which consumes 11,000 tons monthly.

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I told him that this is not Canada, this is a state enterprise, and he must control everything, every bolt, every gram of gold, and not allow theft. I told him not to steal himself and not to let others steal.

Japarov asserted that the Prosecutor General's Office later confirmed these violations, leading to the arrest of Boltrukov and his subordinates. He also noted that Kyrgyzstan had halted gold exports two months prior, resulting in a reserve of 500-600 kilograms of gold. The president emphasized that Boltrukov was warned about the state-owned nature of the enterprise and the need for strict oversight of all operations, down to every bolt and gram of gold, to prevent theft.

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Later, information began to reach me that he was distributing money to various companies and athletes as sponsorship. Also, they started saying that while the whole of Kyrgyzstan was buying diesel at 60 soms, Kumtor was buying it at 80 soms.