From left to right: the Interior Minister Rashid Meredov, Deputy Prime Minister Batyr Ereshov and Prosecutor General Batyr Atdaev
On 21 May “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reported the suicide of Deputy Prime Minister Batyr Ereshov.
According to sources at Radio “Azatlyk”, B.Ereshov, supervisor of an industrial complex, committed suicide on the night of 30 April, several days after his son had been arrested with a large amount of money.
The arrest of the late official’s son was preceded by an inspection in the Lebap cement factory where incidents of bribery had been identified.After his son’s arrest, Ereshov was allegedly placed under surveillance.
He was also warned that he would be arrested soon.
“This all started with the inspection carried out at the Lebap cement factory which was under Ereshov’s jurisdiction.In mid April law enforcement officers launched a raid of the cement factory, identified cash shortages and uncovered cases of large-scale bribery.
After that his son was arrested with a large sum of money”, the “Azatlyk” source said.
“On 24 or 25 April Ereshov’s son was detained. Ereshov himself was placed under surveillance and was warned that he might be arrested. This was followed by his suicide by hanging. The body was taken away and was not returned for three days”, the source said.
According to Chronicles of Turkmenistan’s sources, Batyr Ereshov was buried in his family cemetery in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.He was born on 13 June 1966 in the village named after S.
Niyazov in Garashsyzlyk etrap of Lebap velayat.During the Soviet era it was referred to as the Moscow district and is located on the border with the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan.