President Japarov's statement to Kabar:
“To make everything clear, I will start by saying that this happened at the end of 2021. Shirshov contacted me through intermediaries and stated: ‘If I am not arrested, I am ready to come to Kyrgyzstan. I have information about all of Maxim's assets, both abroad and within the country, and I can help return them to the state.’ The fact is that after Maxim's escape, he left his closest associates, betraying them. Alexey Shirshov was one of them.
After verification by law enforcement agencies, it became known that Shirshov was not wanted.
“Let him come and share his knowledge,” we decided. He came, and we met him. We set one condition: ‘Times have changed. You can no longer deceive government institutions. If something goes wrong – you will be held accountable. You and Maxim made a good profit, now help return these funds to the state, share the information.’
He began to cooperate with the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD).
Photo by Kabar
Shirshov provided information about who was involved in raiding the company "Avrora Plus," registering property in the names of his relatives and acquaintances. As a result, the state managed to return several cottages and apartments from this complex.
Photo by Kabar
He also reported on the villa "Castle-Chateau," located in the southeast of France, which Maxim Bakiyev acquired from Berezovsky. Based on this information, the Ministry of Justice initiated court proceedings starting in 2023. However, it should be noted that legal proceedings may drag on for many years, and it is currently unclear what the outcome will be in favor of Kyrgyzstan. Everything depends on the will of the Almighty, and time will tell.
Photo by Kabar
He also confirmed the information that the company "Elkat" belonged to Maxim Bakiyev. It has now fully transitioned to state ownership and is valued at approximately 6 billion soms.
As for his participation in negotiations in Moscow, the situation is as follows: within the framework of the Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations project, we found ourselves owing "RusHydro" 37 million dollars, and with interest, this amount currently exceeds 51 million dollars. The interest on this debt continues to grow.
The International Court confirmed that “interest will be accrued.” In this regard, I sent a delegation headed by Daniyar Amangeldiev to Moscow to discuss possible ways to resolve this issue.
A call came from Shirshov in Moscow, expressing his willingness to participate in the negotiations and share information useful for Kyrgyzstan regarding "RusHydro." Given his previous experience working with them, his information may prove useful, but time will tell.
It is important to note that we will not allow Shirshov to regain control over any ministry. If his information is useful for the state, we will use it; otherwise, we will say, “behave yourself.”
In general, we will ensure the protection of the state treasury. Therefore, it is not worth paying attention to those who continue to “manipulate” the issue of Shirshov.
The Ministry of Energy will completely repay the previously accumulated debt of 137 billion soms this year and will start making a profit from next year. Theft in our system has been completely stopped. That is why we plan to close the debt that has accumulated over 30 years in 5 years. If theft had continued, we would not have been able to do this – the debt would only have increased.
If any employees are caught stealing, there will be no mercy for them. This applies to all government institutions and officials.
Reference:
On February 16, the Russian Ministry of Energy reported on negotiations between Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev and the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Daniyar Amangeldiev. According to the Russian side, the topic of discussion was “the resolution of cooperation issues regarding the Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations project.” Judging by the photographs from the meeting, Shirshov also participated in the negotiations.
Alexey Shirshov
In the early 2000s, Shirshov held the positions of financial director at OJSC "Severelektro" and "Electric Stations," and in 2008 he was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of TNK "Dastan," where he worked until April 2010.
Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations
In 2012, Kyrgyzstan and Russia signed an agreement on the construction and operation of the Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations at the government level. The cost of the project to build 4 hydropower stations was $727 million. However, on December 24, 2015, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Almazbek Atambayev stated that Russia would not be able to implement the project for the construction of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 and the Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations. A month later, on January 20, 2016, the deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh voted to denounce the agreements between the government of Kyrgyzstan and the government of the Russian Federation on the construction and operation of the Upper Naryn Cascade of Hydroelectric Power Stations and on the construction of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1.
