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BISHKEK, May 3 (Reuters) - The Kyrgyz unit of Canadian miner
Centerra Gold Inc CG.TO said on Tuesday it was operating as
usual after prosecutors and state law enforcement agencies
conducted a search at its offices last week.
"Kumtor Gold Company points out the fact that the Company is
working according to its normal routine while (company)
President Daniel Desjardins remains in Kyrgyzstan," it said in a
statement, adding that two other senior executives who had left
Kyrgyzstan after the search were on long-planned vacations.
Centerra shares fell nearly 9 percent after it reported the
search last Thursday, saying it was to collect documents related
to a criminal case alleging financial violations by its
subsidiary.
The government has said it is concerned about a dividend
paid by Kumtor to Centerra in 2013, Centerra said, adding that
the dividend complied with Kyrgyz laws and 2009 agreements
governing the Kumtor project.
The prosecutor general's office could not be reached for
comments on Tuesday, a public holiday in Kyrgyzstan.
Toronto-based Centerra and the government have been in
drawn-out, on-and-off talks on restructuring the ownership of
the mine. The ex-Soviet republic currently holds a 32.7 percent
stake in Centerra.