Former head of the State Tax Service Altynbek Abduvavov got off lightly?

In the capital's Lenin District Court, the hearing of the case concerning former leaders of the State Tax Service has concluded. Altynbek Abduvayev, who held the position of chairman of the State Tax Service, and Islambek Kydyrgychov, his deputy, were found guilty of abusing their official powers; however, the court limited itself to imposing fines.

The initiation of the criminal proceedings is linked to searches conducted in December 2024 at several district divisions of the State Tax Service. Shortly after these events, both were summoned for questioning by the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), where they were detained. Since then, they have been in custody, and the duration of their detention has been repeatedly extended until January 2026.

The sentence was handed down on December 25, 2025. Abduvayev must pay a fine of 400,000 soms, while Kydyrgychov is to pay 300,000 soms. Additionally, they are prohibited from holding certain positions and have been stripped of special ranks and state awards. While awaiting the enforcement of the sentence, they are under a travel ban.

The third participant in the case, T.A.A., also received a fine. He was found guilty not only of abusing his powers but also of illegal trafficking in weapons and ammunition. The fine amounted to 330,000 soms, and the preventive measure remained unchanged.

It is worth recalling that in mid-2025, Kamchybek Tashiev, head of the SCNS, stated that property worth about 55 million dollars had been discovered belonging to Altynbek Abduvayev. He raised questions about the origin of such wealth, considering the absence of official additional income. According to Tashiev, tax service employees had been handing bribes to the former head of the State Tax Service ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 dollars. According to media reports, the actions of the accused employees of the State Tax Service caused the state damage amounting to 3.2 billion soms.

Comparing 55 million dollars with the imposed fine of 400,000 soms (which is less than 5,000 dollars), it becomes evident that there are different structures in the country: some detect and detain corrupt officials, while others allow them to continue living peacefully. Nevertheless, a final decision in this case has not yet been made, as it is possible that the prosecution may appeal to a higher court, which could lead to a review of the sentence.