The accused in a criminal case linked to the activities of Antares Trade absconded during court proceedings and have been placed on the wanted list. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic (MIA KR) has also commented on statements made by one of the accused, which were published on social media.
WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE CASE
According to the MIA KR, the investigation believes that from October 2020 to July 2021, a group which included three foreign nationals and one citizen of Kyrgyzstan solicited funds from citizens by promising high profits, dividends, and fast withdrawals, as reported by 24.kg.
To attract investors, the organisers opened an office in a shopping centre in Bishkek and held presentations. The authority claims that Antares Trade was not registered in Kyrgyzstan, had no legal status, and did not carry out any real investment activity in the country.
HOW THE CASE WAS INVESTIGATED
Investigators consolidated 50 counts of illegal fundraising from citizens into a single case. The authority estimated the total damage to victims at $1 million 61.2 thousand.
The investigation was completed in December 2021, after which the criminal case was sent to court. However, as reported by the MIA KR, during the court proceedings the accused stopped attending hearings, absconded from the court, and were placed on the wanted list. The authority stated that their search is ongoing.
WHAT THE MIA KR SAID IN RESPONSE TO THE ACCUSED'S STATEMENTS
The trigger for the MIA KR's comment was a series of publications on social media by one of the accused, who claimed the investigation was allegedly biased, which is why he left the country.
The authority emphasised that allegations of an unlawful investigation, pressure, or lack of guilt represent the position of the accused. In the view of the MIA KR, such arguments should be assessed solely by the court based on the evidence examined.
