How the Daughter and Nephew of a Former Deputy Won Government Tenders

Since 2020, the coal mining company Kyrgyz Nafta has won tenders worth 403 million soms. It was registered in the name of Ainagul Mamatova, the daughter of Abdimuktar Mamatov, a deputy of the sixth convocation of parliament who, incidentally, only recently ceased to hold office. The company was later transferred to his nephew, Sanzhar Abilov. It was precisely during Abdimuktar Mamatov’s time as a deputy that the company won tenders for large amounts.

The company is noteworthy because it ranks among the top five companies operating through direct contracting. It should be noted that, under the Law on Public Procurement, relatives of officials and deputies are prohibited from participating in tenders or exerting any influence on the public procurement process.

A Leader in Public Procurement

Kyrgyz Nafta began operating in 2014 and, according to official documents, is engaged in lignite mining. It currently belongs to Sanzhar Usanovich Abilov, the nephew of Abdimuktar Mamatov, a deputy of the fifth and sixth convocations of the Jogorku Kenesh. Previously, until December 2020, the company’s founder was the deputy’s daughter, Ainagul Abdimuktarovna Mamatova.

Notably, while serving as a deputy, Mamatov was a member of the Committee on the Fuel and Energy Complex, Subsoil Use, and Industrial Policy, representing the Ata Meken faction.

According to the osoo.kg website, the company’s earliest tax payments date back to 2017. Its largest tax payment was made in 2020, amounting to 1 million soms. It was precisely from that year that the company began winning government tenders.

Thus, in August 2020, Kyrgyz Nafta signed its first contract worth 376,000 soms. The following month, it signed a contract worth 7 million soms. The peak came in October 2021, when the amount reached 63 million soms. It should be noted that the term of office of the sixth convocation of the Jogorku Kenesh expired in late November or early December 2021, after which the value of tenders won by the company decreased significantly.

Kyrgyz Nafta LLC participated in tenders for the procurement of fuels and lubricants, fuel, and electricity, despite specializing in coal mining.

In more than half of the cases, contracts were signed directly. In other words, 56.6% of the contracts were awarded through noncompetitive procurement procedures, while 30.1% were awarded through simplified procedures and 13.4% through single-stage procedures.

The organizations that most frequently purchased from Kyrgyz Nafta were the Main Directorate for Road Traffic Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Manas International Airport, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Kyrgyz Nafta LLC was mentioned in the media during the events in the Batken region. At that time, the Ministry of Emergency Situations purchased fuels and lubricants from the coal mining company for almost half a million soms.

Furthermore, it is known that this company is a founder of the Russian company Trade Oil LLC, whose director is Kemel Dzhamanbaevich Imanov, the former commercial director of Electric Stations.

This represents only a small portion of the tenders won by Mamatov’s relatives. Previously, Kloop.kg discovered that between 2015 and 2020, Abdimuktar Mamatov’s son, Akylbek Mamatov, owner of the Red Petroleum gas station chain, signed more than 3,900 government contracts for fuel supplies, earning more than 1 billion soms. Thus, one of the largest oil importers became the country’s second-largest supplier of petroleum products to the government.

What Is Known About the Mamatov and Abilov Families?

Abdimuktar Mamatov began his professional career in 1969 as a worker at the Kurshab state farm. He later became a teacher at Lenin Secondary School.

Over the years, Mamatov held the positions of General Director of the State Petroleum Products Committee’s Directorate in the Jalal-Abad region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Munayzat CJSC. From 2010 to 2021, he served as a deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh.

Currently, Abdimuktar Mamatov is the founder of several companies:

• Pazilat LLC – Activities of wholesale trade agents dealing in food products, including beverages and tobacco products.

• Munayzat LLC – Non-specialized wholesale trade.

• Batken Petrol LLC – Wholesale trade in aviation and automotive fuel.

• Dom Byta LLC – Rental of owned real estate.

According to Mamatov’s asset declaration, his annual income in 2020 amounted to only 1 million soms.

The former parliamentarian owns two houses measuring 176 square meters and 256 square meters, as well as a Land Cruiser 200 vehicle.

In addition, he declared three companies: Munayzat LLC, Pazilat LLC, and Batken Petrol LLC.

His close relatives have an apartment measuring 159.4 square meters, two vehicles (Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V), an administrative building measuring 369 square meters, and 67.4 hectares of agricultural land registered in their names.

Sanzhar Abilov is 28 years old. According to his social media profile, he graduated from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after B. N. Yeltsin.

He is the director of the construction company OKS LLC, whose founder is listed as Mamatov’s son, Akylbek Mamatov.

Abilov is also the director of TORU LLC, a company whose founder is listed as Mamatov’s wife, Turdukhan Ukubaevna Abilova.

Sanzhar Abilov’s father is Usan Ukubaevich Abilov. He is the director of Sapar Joint-Stock Company, whose founders include several shareholders and Munayzat LLC.

It should be recalled that Mamatov’s biography indicates that, until 2010, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Munayzat CJSC. In his declaration, he also stated that he owned 100% of the company’s shares.

What Does the Law Say?

The Law on Public Procurement establishes the general legal and economic principles of public procurement and regulates the procedures for conducting it.

According to Article 6 of the Law on Public Procurement, civil servants, employees of procuring organizations, and members of tender commissions are prohibited from participating as suppliers (contractors) or consultants, or from being affiliated with them, in procurement procedures regulated by this law.

Furthermore, they are prohibited from exerting any influence on public procurement decisions in the interests of any party involved in the procurement process.

Under the law, affiliated persons include individuals holding political state positions, political municipal positions, or special state positions, as well as their close relatives.