Officials issued passports to Ablyazov's family, get punished

Judge Zaure Kazakbai announcing verdict

By Zulfiya Bainekeyeva

June 4, Atyrau City Court #2 sentenced a group of people involved in illegal issuing Kazakh foreign travel passports to the family of Mukhtar Ablyazov, the ex-owner of BTA Bank sentenced in his absence and currently wanted.

In violation of existing Kazakh laws, Ablyazov's family members and his in-laws had been given 9 passports.

At the moment of passport issuance, all the receivers were presumably in the United Kingdom, investigators say.

A criminal proceeding was lead in relation to seven officials and individuals accused of producing the ID documents.

Judge read aloud the verdicts in the presence of journalists.

The inspector of documentation and enumeration of Atyrau Oblast migration police, Lieutenant Zhomart Kushaliyev was found guilty in taking bribe in a large scale and received 9 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. He has also been stripped of his title.

Lead inspector of documentation and enumeration of Kazakhstan Interior Ministry's Migration Policy Committee, Dametken Kuzembayeva was found guilty in taking bribes continuously and was sentenced to 7 years and 2 months in jail with confiscation of property. Being a resident of Astana, who before trial had been under written pledge not to leave the city since October 2012, she was handcuffed in the court room.

Lead inspector for special assignments of documentation and enumeration of the oblast's migration police, Lieutenant Zhansulu Iskakova was accused of forgery and undertaken to pay a penalty amounting 2,000 monthly calculation indexes, nearly T3.5 million.

The marketing specialist of Ellis Region LLP Assylbek Saifullin was given 2 years in prison for mediation in bribery.

A cafe administrator, Dana Isseyeva was found guilty in arranging giving and taking bribe. With account of her repentance and active assistance to investigation, the court gave her a two year suspended term. 

Lead inspector for special assignments of documentation and enumeration of the oblast's migration police, Lieutenant Gulzhanat Ayazbayeva [forgery] and the head of Atyrau Oblast civil registry office, Kymbat Kuanova [official misconduct] were forced to pay penalty 2,000 monthly calculation indexes each.

The both were released from punishment thanks to the law on amnesty due to the 20th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence.

Verdict announcement was accompanied by a contrained weeping of convicted Kuzembayeva and relatives of defendants.

When outside, they cursed upon those who allegedly evaded punishment.

Behind the court's door, they said those who "came out dry from water" had slandered colleagues during the investigation.

Lawyers told about numerous violations given way by investigators.

It is still unclear whether the special ruling of court in relation to head of regional KNB, the oblast prosecutor, minister of justice, minister of internal affairs, heads of local departments of these agencies is linked to these behind-the-door allegations.

The judge produced no motives.

Neither bribe details nor the bribe givers were mentioned.

Advocates of some convicts claimed they would appeal the court decision.

To recall, May 31 2013, the spouse of Ablyazov, Alma Shalabayeva, 47, and their underage daughter Alua were deported to Kazakhstan from Italy "over illegal presence in the country holding fake passports."