Criminal charges pressed against sponsors of N. Nazarbayev's political opponents

08.08.2005 - Political opposition in Kazakhstan may find itself penniless in the near future. Rustam Ybyiraiymov, Senior Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Combating Economic Crime and Corruption, said at his press conference in Astana on August 5 that criminal charges had been pressed against Bolat Abilov, a prominent businessman and politician. Abilov, 47, is charged with fraud running into millions and tax-evasion to the tune of $3.5 million.

KZ-Today quotes Ybyiraiymov as saying that what materials are available clearly indicate that Abilov's activities in connection with the Butja Foundation "collided with the Kazakh laws." "Harm done by his actions is much worse than the indemnity paid to depositors," he said.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta reports that this is not the first time Abilov has problems with fiscal structures. Some Kazakh media outlets reported in 2001 with references to "sources in high places" that action was brought against the businessman and politician. In fact, national law enforcement agencies left Abilov alone most of the time after that. It was only recently that he himself announced himself under pressure applied by fiscal structures. Abilov said that his companies were besieged by all sorts of inspectors, his bank accounts arrested.

Representatives of the financial police deny political motives of the criminal charges. They say that the businessman would have never encountered any trouble had he always abided by the law. Abilov is of a different frame of mind. He claims that fiscal structures are acting on the orders from their political masters.

Butja General Director Abilov is one of the wealthiest citizens of Kazakhstan. The company owns a wide network of stores in major cities of the republic (the stores deal in everything from Adidas articles to clothes from European designers to food to furniture.) Abilov owns Ramstore supermarkets, Zangar Trading House (the former Central Department Store in Alma-Ata), Butja auto center, Toyota service centers, and Astana-Motors. There are the rumors as well that Abilov deals in spirits via affiliated companies.

In 2000, Abilov became a deputy of the parliament representing Otan or Fatherland, the political party of President Nursultan Nazarbayev himself. He was ousted from the parliament for participation in establishment of the oppositionist Kazakhstan's Democratic Choice barely a year later.

2001 was a year of unprecedented activeness of young representatives of the republican political establishment. Mukhtar Ablyazov, ex-minister of energy and ex-head of KEGOK (national energy company), was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for corruption and abuse of power in summer 2002. Galymzhan Zhakiyanov, his closest accomplice and former governor of Pavlodar, was sentenced to imprisonment on similar charges. Some other young officials got off easily and retired.

In the meantime, Abilov became one of the leaders of the moderately oppositionist Ak-Zhol or Bright Way. He even participated in establishment of Movement For Fair Kazakhstan, the political structure that consolidated all of the republican opposition afterwards.

Abilov never bothered to hide the fact that he sponsored the opposition. He was always taciturn on the subject, but nobody doubts that the sums in question are considerable. After all, Abilov's personal fortune amounts to millions by even a rough estimate.

All of that may become history now. Events of the last several years show that the opposition in Kazakhstan is traditionally dealt with by force. Ex-premier Akezhan Kazhegeldin ended up in the opposition to Nazarbayev and was tried and convicted for corruption in absentia. Kazhegeldin lives in Europe now. Not long ago, the financial police pressed charges against Asem Director Talgat Kozhakhmetov, the brother of opposition leader Asylbek Kozhakhmetov.

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