Kurmanbek Bakiyev

Name: Kurmanbek Bakiyev
Country:
Kyrgyzstan
Ruled:
2005-2010
Deposed:
Mass protests
Exiled:
Belarus
Wealth:
$300 million +

Kyrg kleptocrat Kurmanbek Bakiyev ruled this former Soviet republic in Central Asia for five years. Swept to power by the Tulip Revolution in 2005, he was swept out again in April 2010 by mass protests in which more than 80 people were killed when his security forces fired on the crowds. Bakiyev was charged in 2010 with organising mass killings (in relation to these riots), abusing his power and stealing $300m of Russian aid money, for which son Maxim and 59 fellow ministers, mates and officials were also indicted.

The new government is now trying to extradite him from Belarus, without success. Kyrgyzstan ranks 164 out of 178 on Transparency International’s graft index—one of the very worst.