Former Head Of Kyrgyz Gold Firm Remanded In Pretrial Detention

A court has rejected a request by the former head of Kyrgyzstan's state-owned gold producer, Dilger Japarov, to be transferred from pretrial detention to house arrest.

Japarov's lawyer, Vladislav Luzhansky, told RFE/RL that the court in the capital, Bishkek, issued the ruling on August 25.

The trial was then adjourned until August 28.

Japarov, ex-head of the firm Kyrgyzaltyn, was arrested on May 28 on charges of illegally transferring $200 million of company funds into the bank accounts of the Canadian firm Centerra Gold.

Kyrgyz authorities say the transfer required prior government approval.

Centerra Gold owns and operates the Kumtor gold mine in northwestern Kyrgyzstan through its subsidiary, the Kumtor Gold Company.

The Kyrgyz government owns 33 percent of the Kumtor Gold Company through Kyrgyzaltyn.