A lavish wedding for Aimen Matraimov, the son of the former deputy head of Kyrgyzstan’s customs service, Rayimbek Matraimov,took place at the Marriott Hotel Tashkent on August 30, the PolitKlinika news outlet said in a story.
The high-profile event drew a prominent crowd of Kyrgyz politicians, public figures, and business elites. Notable attendees included former members of the Jogorku Kenesh (Kyrgyz Parliament) Zhusupbek Korgonbai uulu, Elmirza Satybaldiyev, and Ibragim Zhunusov, as well as renowned surgeon Sabirbek Zhumabekov and billionaire tycoon Askar Salymbekov. The celebration also featured performances by Russian pop stars Lyusia Chebotina and Philipp Kirkorov, alongside Kazakh singer Raim.
According to PolitKlinika, the groom's bride, Samira, is the granddaughter of Zhaqyp Marabayev, a prominent figure in Kazakhstan’s oil sector. She is the daughter of Leila Soltanbayeva, who serves as the corporate director for the holding company Semurg Invest. Reporting indicates that Semurg Invest has deep ties to the Marabayev family and manages a portfolio spanning infrastructure, transport logistics, construction, and investment projects.
One of the holding’s flagship projects is the Sarzha multi-functional marine terminal located at the Port of Kuryk in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region. Open-source data connects Semurg Invest to infrastructure developments at the Kuryk port, an essential node in the expansion of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route).
Who is Rayimbek Matraimov?
Rayimbek Matraimov is the former deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's State Customs Service who became a household name following a series of high-profile media investigations into systemic customs corruption. The exposés revealed that Matraimov and his inner circle controlled three major customs terminals and operated illicit cargo smuggling networks.
Matraimov was arrested on corruption charges in October 2020. In February 2021, Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court found him guilty after he agreed to pay 2 billion Kyrgyz soms in state restitution ahead of the verdict. Following the payout, the court sentenced him to a nominal fine of 260,000 soms.
In 2024, Matraimov faced a renewed criminal probe, with prosecutors leveling charges of illegal border crossing and hooliganism. Following months in detention, he was released from a State Committee for National Security (SCNS) holding facility in November 2024. The release came after GKNB Chief Kamchybek Tashiyev announced that Matraimov had forfeited assets valued at approximately $200 million to the state.
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