Ata Meken leader held on corruption charges but supporters call the move politically motivated before elections.<\/b>
Authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained a prominent opposition leader on charges of fraud and corruption , claims that his supporters say are politically motivated in advance of a presidential poll.
Omurbek\u00a0 Tekebayev, leader of the nominally socialist Ata Meken party and o ne of the most outspoken critics of President Almazbek Atambayev , was detained on Sunday after landing at\u00a0Bishkek airport.
In a statement, the prosecutor general’s office said it suspected Tekebayev of taking a $1m bribe from a Russian investor in 2010.
Tekebayev, who was then a senior member of the provisional government, promised the investor he would be able to take over a local telecommunications company, prosecutors said.
READ MORE: Kyrgyzstan’s chance to stand out in Central Asia
Supporters held demonstrations to protest the arrest across the country as it \u00a0may eliminate him as a contender for the upcoming\u00a0 presidential election on November 19.
Kanybek Imanaliyev, a member of parliament who belongs to Tekebayev’s Ata Meken faction, said he denied any wrongdoing.
Atambayev, whose term ends this year, c annot run for re-election under the Kyrgyz constitution, but his allies in parliament successfully pushed through a referendum on a package of amendments significantly boosting the powers of the prime minister.
This has prompted speculation the president may either become a powerful cabinet head – although Atambayev denies having such plans – or install a loyal figure as prime minister in order to retain power in the country of six million.
Source: \u00a0 News agencies<\/p>\n