The fugitive Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov, currently residing in France, denied having contributed to the financing of the recent protests in the Central Asian country, which resulted in violent unrest.
Ablyazov, who this morning gave an interview to the Russian news agency “Ria Novosti”, said he had nothing to do with the January 2 demonstrations against expensive fuel. However, the businessman claimed to have urged the population to take to the streets in the following days and to occupy public buildings, but “without seizing them”.
Ablyazov, former president of Bank Turan Alem (Bta Bank), was charged with embezzlement of $ 2015 billion by Bta Bank while holding that role and later convicted of the offense. In 2016 a court in Lyon issued an extradition order against him, however, in December XNUMX, the highest French administrative court, the Conseil d’Etat, overturned the sentence, on the grounds that Russia had political reasons in presenting. the request for extradition. The opposition political movement of which he is the leader, “Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan”, has been recognized as an extremist organization by the Kazakh authorities.
Source : Nova Agency
