Three unknown assailants gunned down Ryspek Akmatbayev near a mosque in Bishkek and also wounded two bystanders aged 11 and 18.
But the Interior Ministry said the murder was most likely part of a turf war between rival gangs and rejected suggestions that Akmatbayev had been shot in connection with his attempts to take up the parliamentary seat once held by his brother Tynychbek, a prominent legislator, who was killed in October when prisoners rioted at a penal colony he was inspecting.
"The investigation completely rules out a politically motivated murder of Ryspek Akmatbayev," a ministry spokesperson said.
Ryspek Aktambayev won a parliamentary seat April 9 with 79% of the vote, but the Central Election Committee refused to endorse the result because a court ruling was pending on his alleged involvement in a triple-murder, establishing a criminal gang and possessing weapons.
Aktambayev, who had a criminal record, had publicly demand the resignation of the troubled Central Asian republic's prime minister, Felix Kulov, who he said had been involved in his brother's killing.
