Turkmenistan's Central Bank's official steals 41 million dollars

Turkmenistan's General Prosecutor's Office initiated criminal proceedings on the theft of 41.5 million dollars by an official of the Central Bank of the republic. Arslan Kakayev, 25, who worked in the department of the international system of bank payments, managed to transfer more than 41 million dollars from Turkmenistan's emergency fund into some foreign banks. After that, he left Turkmenistan and converted some money into cash.

In this connection President Saparmurat Niyazov dismissed Chairman of the Board of Turkmenistan's Central Bank Ymamdurdy Gandymov "for grave shortcomings in the work, the abuse of power and the initiation of criminal proceedings". Shekersoltan Mukhammedova, the chairperson of the board of the Khalkbank State Commercial Bank, was appointed acting chairperson of the Central Bank's board.

At the recent extended session of the cabinet of ministers Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov ordered the law enforcement bodies to take all necessary measures and to find the stolen money in 10 days.