Mukhtar Ablyazov’s case reopened in France
Mukhtar Ablyazov is a phenomenon like no other. His swift actions on evading the justice made him a legend. It seems that the richest fraudster at this side of prison bars got into own trap. He asked France for political asylum, but forgot that it will not make him immune to justice.
Mukhtar Ablyazov, Kazakhstan oligarch and politician was
detained by French authorities. He is accused of breach of trust and money
laundering by Paris prosecutors. After initial interrogation Mukhtar Ablyazov
signed the papers obliging him to remain in the city, report to the police
officer and other terms of judicial supervision.
Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive oligarch from Kazakhstan has
been recently granted political asylum in France. However, it does not grant
him legal immunity because according to the French laws he may be subject to
investigation and subsequent criminal prosecution for crimes committed outside
France. And there are many crimes he committed, according to at least several
countries.
At least five issued warrants are in effect. Kazakhstan
wants him for banking fraud, embezzlement and hiring a hitman to kill his
business partner. Russian and Ukrainian authorities are searching him for banking
fraud. Great Britain seeks him for money laundering and conspiring to hide his
criminal wealth from authorities.
In France Kazakhstani Mukhtar Ablyazov was indicted on
charges of aggravated money laundering and aggravated breach of trust. He was
released under judicial supervision and should report to the precinct every day
in person, obey all the orders and restrictions of authorities. Gerard
Tcholakian, Ablyazov’s personal lawyer was seemingly frustrated:
THE PARIS PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE TOOK UP A COMPLAINT FROM
KAZAKHSTAN THAT IT COULD HAVE REFUSED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AND STUPIDLY OPENED
AN INVESTIGATION.
It’s not the first time Mukhtar Ablyazov gets into trouble
with the French law. He served three years in Lyonnaise prison for similar
charges. Ablyazov was released from it under unprecedented pressure from
international NGO’s advocating his political activism.
Mukhtar Ablyazov, once a close ally of long-time president
Nursultan Nazarbayev, turned to his ‘worst enemy’, according to Ablyazov’s own
words. It is only spurious correlation that his escape to Europe coincided with
a balance deficit of six to eight billion USD in his BTA Bank. BTA was, at the
moment of Mukhtar Ablyazov flight, the biggest bank in Kazakhstan.
In 2017 the Kazakhstan government filed a legal complaint in
Paris against the oligarch and ex-statesman accusing him of embezzling more
than $ 7.5 billion to the detriment of the BTA, of which he was the owner
before its nationalization in 2009. Mukhtar Ablyazov provided unsecured loans
to off-shore shell companies of which he himself and his proxies were the
beneficiaries.
As soon as Mukhtar Ablyazov landed in Britain he turned to
political activism and became an important opposition figure. Because of his
activism he escaped extradition requests to Russia and Kazakhstan.
The National Asylum Court (CNDA) of France granted him
political refugee status on 29 September, saying the charges against Kazakh
Mukhtar Ablyazov had “political motives”.
With the new developments Mukhtar Ablyazov, who has a
history of fleeing from the British authorities, will likely be kept under
close observation. His judicial supervision includes restraint of crossing the
border and other limitations. It could pose an inconvenience for Mukhtar
Ablyazov because of his lavish lifestyle and customs. It will certainly put a
pressure on him for a long time: investigating tons – literally – of the
documents by French prosecution will take years. Meanwhile, the British case is
the most obvious one: the High court decision is certainly free from ‘political
motives’.
Mukhtar Ablyazov’s fascinating abilities to escape criminal
investigation is well-known. It’s is likely that he will move to other country
out of fear ‘for his life’. It is how he fled from Britain.
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