Respublika-kaz.info: How the British Lawyers Help the Russian Law Enforcers
© mukhtarablyazov.org 12.06.2014

If the BTA Bank had not been seized by Nazarbayev, Mukhtar Ablyazov would have completed all projects he had started in Russia and become one of the largest actors in the Russian market. Alas, now he is in prison, most of his assets have been stolen, and the remaining ones are being contested in a fierce fight. And those who assist the Kazakh prosecutors in this fight are the BTA Bank's British lawyers.

This is a Facebook comment by Muratbek Ketebaev, a public figure well known in Kazakhstan. Referring to his sources of information in Russia, he quotes a very interesting letter from Kazakh prosecutor Andrei Kravchenko to his Russian colleagues.

The Muratbek Ketebaev's comment is given in full below:

"I have already mentioned that the Investigative Department (former Investigative Committee) of the Ministry of the Interior, which plays a key role in the fabrication of criminal cases against Mukhtar Ablyazov in Russia, acts in the interests of Akorda and separate groups of influence in the Russia's ruling elite.

The latter is quite understandable - all BTA projects in Russia, both in Moscow and its suburbs and in other regions belong to the category of large, competitive and highly profitable ones.

If the BTA Bank had not been seized by Nursultan Nazarbayev and his henchmen under the pretext of saving the bank from bankruptcy, Mukhtar Ablyazov would have completed all these projects and become one of the largest actors in several sectors of the Russian economy.   Alas, now this is impossible because he is sitting in a French prison and a fierce fight for his assets is underway.

Due to certain reasons I cannot tell everything, but those who wish may compare the list of the Ablyazov's business projects in Russia and Kazakhstan with the list of the projects sought to be returned by or already returned to the BTA Bank.

There is a considerable difference between these two lists, and the items that make up this difference are now owned, firstly, by Timur Kulibayev, secondly, by Sauat Mynbayev and, thirdly, by a group of smaller raiders such as Nikolay Varenko, Kenes Rakishev and other chickens from the Timur's nest.

So all the current activity being displayed by the Kazakh authorities in this regard is, on the one hand, an attempt to aggravate the situation around Ablyazov and, on the other hand, it is a means to conceal who will eventually benefit from robbing him.

On the eve of the trial in Lyon (it will be attended by a representative from the Prosecutor General's Office of the RF), I would like to give an example concerning the Mukhtar Ablyazov's extradition requests filed by Ukraine and Russia of how the Kazakh law enforcers are putting pressure on their Russian colleagues. It is a letter addressed to Vladimir Cozhokar V.V., Lieutenant-General, Deputy Interior Minister.

It is dated November 24, 2011, and signed by Kravchenko A., Deputy Prosecutor General of the RK, the State Counsellor of Justice of the Third Class

After an expression of respect for the addressee, Andrei Nikolayevich immediately took the bull by the horns. I quote: "It has come to our notice that in order to increase the efficiency of the investigation of the Ablyazov's criminal activities, the bodies of the Ministry of the Inferior of Russia plan to set up an investigation team.

The Prosecutor General's Office is particularly grateful to the Ministry of the Interior of the RF and to you personally for taking a constructive approach and enhancing the criminal investigation.

Along with the above, when setting up the investigation team being formed to investigate and reveal the Ablyazov M.K.'s criminal activities, you are requested to preserve the position of Zhesterov P.V., Senior Investigator of the ID (Interior Department) of the ID (Investigative Department) of the Ministry of the Interior for the following reasons.

Among the three grounds the Andrei Kravchenko's case is based on, the most prominent ones are the last two (again I quote): "2. We have established communication to exchange information with the representatives of the victim and the BTA Bank's consultants, including those dealing with civil processes in the High Court of Justice in London. 3. We have formed working relationship with the investigation task team investigating the case episodes in Kazakhstan.

I do not know whether the English judge, wittingly or unwittingly assisting Akorda in the persecution of Mukhtar Ablyazov, is aware that the British lawyers representing BTA secretly cooperate with the Russian law enforcers. Anyway, this letter addressed to Mr. Kravchenko is only one of the many proofs of this fact.

By the way, I talked to the latter at one of the events in the European Parliament. He had difficulties in objecting to our arguments as he was pinned to the wall by the facts, and it was clear from the expression on his face that he was unaccustomed to such treatment and extremely displeased. In my opinion, he is a smart, cynical, unscrupulous professional strongly reminiscent of the Stalinist prosecutor Wyshinsky and can be described as his Kazakh version".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Muratbek Ketebayev is a prominent Kazakh public figure, an economist. In the 1990's he was the Vice-Minister of Economy in the Kazhegeldin's government. In the late 1990's - early 2000's he was the vice president of the KEGOK (Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company). He left the civil service in order to engage in the public activities: he was behind the creation of the opposition movement – the Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan and the opposition Alga People's Party, banned by the Kazakh authorities for alleged extremism, set up the Civic Engagement foundation providing support to NGOs and the media. After the events in Zhanaozen he and Vladimir Kozlov, politician and his associate in Alga, were subjected to criminal persecution under a "political" article, i.e. for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and inciting social discord. In 2013, in connection with his persecution by the Kazakh authorities he was granted a refugee status in Poland.

Author: Muratbek Ketebayev
Source: Respublika-kaz-info

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