MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Businessman Imamidin Tashov and activist Tilekmat Kurenov, suspected of plotting a coup d'etat in Kyrgyzstan, were preparing violent provocations involving firearms and explosive devices, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said in an interview with the Kyrgyz news agency Kabar.

Earlier, the State Committee for National Security announced that Tashov and Kurenov, a US citizen, had been plotting a violent seizure of power in the country. Both are now on the wanted list.

"Their plan was to stage mass riots by shooting several demonstrators or using explosive devices, which could have resulted in loss of life. They would have blamed the tragic outcome on the authorities, thus triggering more popular protests and a massive rally," he said, emphasizing that the plotters "had very self-serving plans."

Japarov pointed out that some other groups were behind Tashov and Kurenov, but "the people will not follow them."

"Some of them are hungry for power, and others have merely lost a bonanza, when we took over. To be more precise, they were in the habit of stealing from the treasury, evading taxes, and pocketing billions of dollars. We know them all well, like I know the back of my hand," he said.

According to Japarov, there are no grounds for regime change in Kyrgyzstan today, and the current leadership "will not permit the emergence of any reasons for this."