The new leader of Kyrgyzstan moved swiftly to strengthen ties with Russia yesterday as the ousted President was accused of looting the countrys banks. Roza Otunbayeva sent a team to Moscow to request aid a day after Vladimir Putin, the Russian Prime Minister, offered to help to rebuild the former Soviet republic. The delegation was led by Almazbek Atambayev, her deputy in the provisional Government. Officials accused President Bakiyev of ransacking the state treasury before he fled Bishkek during the revolution, in which 75 people died and 400 were wounded. They froze the banking system, saying that it contained only $22 million (14 million). The state coffers are almost empty. All the funds have been transferred, Edil Baisalov, Ms Otunbayevas chief of staff, said. Russia was the first country to recognise the new regime amid speculation that it wants to close a vital US airbase outside Bishkek that supplies troops and equipment to Nato operations in Afghanistan. Ms Otunbayeva insisted that she had no plans at present to revise the agreement with Washington, despite comments from a Kremlin official that in Kygryzstan, there should be only one base Russian. She played down claims that Russia had helped the Opposition to win power after another senior figure, Omurbek Tekebayev, said that Moscow had played its role in deposing Mr Bakiyev. Mr Tekebayev told The Times that a series of critical articles in Russian newspapers two weeks before the revolt had emboldened the Opposition and acted as a signal that Russian authorities would not support Bakiyev. Ms Otunbayeva also mentioned the press reports as a sign of Mr Putins impatience with Mr Bakiyev. She said that she had discussed the situation with the Russian Ambassador to Bishkek two weeks before but said that the meeting was not something special. Mr Bakiyev infuriated the Kremlin by reneging on a pledge to close the US base last year after receiving $2.15 billion (1.4 billion) in Russian loans. He remained defiant in his stronghold of southern Kyrgyzstan yesterday, insisting that he would not resign and blaming the Opposition for the bloodshed. Mr Bakiyev offered to negotiate with the new leadership but Ms Otunbayeva said that there was nothing to discuss. She accused his supporters of attempting to stir violence in Bishkek, saying: We have information that there were several bombs planted in three public places. A semblance of normality returned to the city as the looting subsided and police appeared for the first time since Wednesdays clashes with demonstrators outside the central government building. Funerals of those killed will take place today. Many of the wounded remained in hospital, including Aibek Imanaliyev, 27, who was shot in the stomach. He told The Times that protesters had been driven into a fury when security services opened fire on the crowd and became determined to overthrow Mr Bakiyev. Opposition leaders had accused the President of repression, corruption and nepotism five years after he had swept to power in the 2005 Tulip Revolution against Askar Akayev, his autocratic predecessor . Bakiyev came to power with the help of money in 2005. They paid everybody, Mr Imanaliyev said. But this was a genuine peoples revolution. We just couldnt stand him any more. After all the blood that he spilt I think the people would rip him apart now if they were given the chance.(The Times)