A businessman from China's Xinjiang Province whose name was cited in an investigative report by RFE/RL about the illegal withdrawal of some $700 million from Kyrgyzstan has been shot dead in Istanbul.
Turkish media reports say Aierken Saimait (aka Ayerken Saymaiti) was shot at a restaurant in Istanbul's Fatih district by an unknown attacker and died later in a hospital.
Earlier in May, RFE/RL obtained documents confirming that at least $250 million had been taken from Kyrgyzstan abroad via bank accounts belonging to Saimait and a Kyrgyz company.
After RFE/RL's report, Kyrgyzstan’s Service for Fighting Against Economic Crimes confirmed that Saimait, an ethnic Uyghur from Xinjiang wanted by Kyrgyz authorities for alleged financial fraud, his spouse Vufuli Bumailiamu, and the company Abdyraz had sent more than $646 million from Kyrgyzstan abroad via 11 bank accounts.
The investigation also revealed that the activities of Saimait and his wife had been allegedly linked to a Kyrgyz foundation with ties to the family of lawmaker Iskender Matraimov.
Matraimov has denied the allegation.