The head of Prison No. 19 in the Chui Region has been detained on suspicion of extorting a bribe

The head of Institution No. 19 of the State Penitentiary Service has been detained in the Chui Region. He is suspected of extorting a bribe from the relatives of a prisoner.

According to the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), on 25 August, agency staff, together with the Internal Security Directorate of the State Penitentiary Service, carried out operational and investigative measures as part of a previously initiated criminal case.

As a result, the head of Institution No. 19, Major of the Internal Service Zh.M.Zh., born in 1982, was detained. He is charged with an offence under paragraph 1 of part 2 of Article 343 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic – extortion of a bribe.

According to the investigation, from February 2025 onwards, the suspect systematically demanded money from close relatives of a convicted prisoner in exchange for granting access to telephone calls and visits.

It has been established that the money was transferred via the ‘Mbank’ mobile app.

Following the investigative measures, the detainee was remanded in custody at the pre-trial detention centre of the State Committee for National Security, in accordance with Article 96 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.

All the circumstances of the incident are currently being established, including the total amount of money received, any other possible instances of unlawful activity, and individuals who may be involved in the offence.

The final legal assessment of the suspect’s actions will be made following the conclusion of the investigation.