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Kyrgyz Authorities Confiscate $35 Million of Oligarch Matraimov’s Assets – Plan to Nationalize Another $50 million of Property

Kyrgyzstan's State Committee of National Security (GKNB) has stated that following an investigation aimed at returning embezzled property into state ownership as part of a criminal case against former deputy chairman of the Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov, the government has seized real estate worth $34,810,000. At the end of January 2024, the authorities placed the infamous oligarch Matraimov, who has bounced in and out of custody since 2020, on a wanted list. Matraimov, who is popularly known as "Raimbek-million" for his multi-million dollar fortune has already pleaded guilty to embezzlement, and is now charged under the article "illegal deprivation of liberty" on suspicion of abducting and illegally incarcerating unnamed individuals. The former deputy head of the Customs Service previously had extensive connections in the Kyrgyz parliament and government, and went unpunished for years. In 2021, the U.S. authorities banned Matraimov and his family members from entering the country. Head of the GKNB, Kamchibek Tashiev, accused Matraimov of creating a mafia clan. "Raimbek Matraimov has been put on a wanted list. All of his property... throughout Kyrgyzstan will go into the ownership of the state. We will not leave even a [plot] of land. He will no longer be Raimbek-million as he used to be. There will be no such thing as a clan. To destroy this clan, in the Osh region [alone] we fired about fifty people from state bodies," Tashiev stated. In 2019, the State Service for Combating Economic Crimes launched an investigation into corruption in the Kyrgyz Customs bodies. Earlier, documents had found their way into the hands of journalists showing that Matraimov had withdrawn about $700 million from the country through various banks over a period of seven years. However, investigators didn't find Matraimov's property abroad. In 2021, Matraimov was found guilty of corruption and convicted, but after paying a $22.5 million fine to the state, he was released. Law enforcement has since uncovered more of the oligarch's assets worth another $50 million. The GKNB is continuing to search for more assets obtained by criminal means in order to later transfer them to the state, according to the agency's press service. Matraimov's whereabouts are currently unknown.

Central Asia Justice Kazakhstan Justice Kazakhstan Business & Economy Features

Kazakhstan Claws Back Another $98.5 Million From Nazarbayev’s Nephew

A well-known Kazakhstani businessman and a relative of former President Nazarbayev has returned another $98.5 million to the state's coffers. This money was returned as part of the criminal case against Kairat Satybaldy, according to the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan. "At present, the funds have been sent to the republican budget on account of compensation for damage caused to the state," said the head of the agency, Askhat Zhumagali. Satybaldy - a nephew of the first president of Kazakhstan - is a well-known businessman and former politician. He held positions in the Akimat of the capital, the National Security Committee, and developed business in the oil and gas industry, banking, the services sector, and trade. Satybaldy was detained in March 2022, accused of abuse of power and embezzlement on a large scale at both JSC Kazakhtelecom and JSC Center of Transport Services. In September of that year, an Astana court found Satybaldy guilty and sentenced him to six years imprisonment, replete with the confiscation of property and deprivation of the right to hold office for ten years. In addition, he was relieved of the title of Major General of the National Security Committee (KNB) and other state awards. In total, since the beginning of 2022, the Anti-Corruption Agency has returned $2 billion of illegally withdrawn assets, of which almost $1.5 billion belonged to Satybaldy. These include a stake in state company, Kazakhtelecom, companies in the railroad and telecommunications sectors, as well as jewelry worth more than $200 million. Additionally, as part of the criminal case, the state repossessed a stake in the Baisat Market, which had belonged to Satybaldy's son. The Agency noted that other investigations into Nazarbayev's nephew on cases related to non-payment of taxes and the laundering of proceeds from criminal activities are ongoing. At the same time, in order to preclude the withdrawal of embezzled budget funds abroad, the anti-corruption service intends to introduce digital technologies, including mechanisms for "coloring" money, and the use of digital tender to fully track how state funds are spent. "Long-term construction projects [and] untimely and low-quality construction are often associated with either embezzlement or withdrawal of money for further kickbacks to officials and other offenses,"Zhumagali stated. "Digital tenge as a tool will help us realize the [plan for] 'coloring' money. And if this money is allocated for salaries, it will not go in other directions. This whole procedure of money movement allocated from the budget becomes transparent, and all transactions must reach their goal; each tenge must be spent for a specifically envisaged purpose." In Kazakhstan, corruption continues to be one of the main factors hindering the country's economic development. In 2023, the country ranked 93rd out of 180 states on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index with a raw score of 39 out of 100. However, this saw an improvement on the ranking of 101st registered on the 2022 index, and following the resignation of the government, on February 7th President Tokayev targeted stamping out corruption as a...

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Domestic Violence Victims Can Now Obtain EU Refugee Status After Ruling

Women who have suffered from domestic violence have the right to seek asylum in European Union (EU) countries, according to an EU Court of Justice ruling on January 16th. Anyone who has been subjected to physical and psychological violence, including sexual or domestic violence, can apply. If the those who apply do not meet the conditions for refugee status, they can claim additional measures of protection. Refugee status may already be granted to third-country nationals who are persecuted on racial, religious, or national grounds, as well as on the basis of political convictions or membership of a particular social group. According to the judges, threats from relatives "because of an alleged violation of cultural, religious or traditional norms" may qualify. Consequently, genital mutilation or forced marriage are often reasons for absconding, which women will have to disclose to authorities at the first interview. The EU came to this decision after the story of a Turkish national, a girl of Kurdish origin was forcibly married by her family. In the marriage, she was beaten and threatened by her husband, but managed to escape. The woman, who feared that her life would be in danger if she returned to Turkey, sought help and asked for international protection in Bulgaria. The local justices then referred the case to the Court of Justice of the EU. Karl Kopp, a migration expert for Pro Asyl - an independent human rights organization that advocates for the rights of refugees in Europe and Germany - said that the outcome is positive, and more women will be able to receive protection in the future. At present, Kazakhstan is discussing the issue of toughening punishment for domestic violence. A joint study by the Union of Crisis Centers and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation found that in 2021, the public safety authorities of Kazakhstan received almost 115,000 complaints of domestic violence. Of these, only 40% of cases made it to court, whilst 39% of perpetrators got off with sentences that restricted their freedom for periods ranging from two hours to three days.

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Uzbekistan Gains Ground Against Corruption in Annual Perception Ranking

International non-governmental organization Transparency International has published its 2023 global ranking of corruption perception. For the last six years, Denmark has held first position, followed by Finland and New Zealand. It's no coincidence that these countries hold the lead in the rule of law index, what with their well-established government and societal institutions and transparent justice systems. Somalia, Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, and Yemen, which suffer from wars and/or social crises, close out the list. According to the rating, Uzbekistan held 121st place out of 180 - rising five spots on the list in just one year. Over the past decade, the republic has improved its position by 16 spots, becoming the leader in terms of the rate of improvement across the entire index. Among Uzbekistan's neighbors in Central Asia, only Kazakhstan, which ranks 93rd, is higher. In the region, Turkmenistan (170) has the worst record with corruption; Tajikistan is 162nd on the list, and Kyrgyzstan ranked 141st - tied with Russia. According to Transparency International experts, the index revealed that many countries have made little progress in the fight against corruption. Francois Valerian, chairman of Transparency International, said "corruption will continue to thrive as long as justice systems fail to punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or interfered with by political forces, people suffer. Leaders must fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and fight corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption." Transparency International began assessing and compiling the 180-country index in 1995. It's calculated based on perceptions of public sector corruption. The company uses data from 13 external sources, including non-governmental consulting companies and think tanks, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and others.

Central Asia Justice Kazakhstan Local Politics Kazakhstan Justice Local Politics Kazakhstan

Senator Zhanna Asanova: the bill against domestic violence is ready to be submitted to the Majilis

According to the prominent Kazakh senator Zhanna Asanova, in 2023 domestic violence claimed the lives of 69 women and children, and more than 99,000 people sought help for this reason. A total of 2,452 crimes against children were registered. In a post on Facebook, Ms Asanova announced that a bill aimed at countering domestic violence is ready to be submitted to Kazakhstan’s parliament, the Majilis. She stressed that a number of experts on women's and children's rights were involved in creating the bill. Senator Asanova also emphasized that state agencies, in partnership with Kazakhstan’s children's ombudsman Dinara Zakiyeva, are working to increase the number of guardianship officers to 1,650 people. Currently there are only 309 of them in the country. Ms Asanova wrote: "As the president noted, any legislative changes will not be effective unless there is complete rejection, 'zero tolerance' in society, for any form of aggression and violence." The bill includes the following measures: 1. Criminalization of violence, which implies the establishment of criminal liability for battery and causing minor harm to health (currently these crimes are regulated by the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan). 2. Classifying these crimes as criminal offenses requiring public prosecution in order to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement. 3. Toughening the punishment for these crimes and excluding the possibility of reconciliation of the parties to all forms of violence against children, in order to ensure the protection of the rights and interests of children. 4. Creation of infrastructure for assistance to families and children, including the opening of Family Support Centers and Centers for Psychological Support of Children, to provide comprehensive assistance to victims. 5. Introduction of special requirements in the Criminal Code, including psychological work with the aggressor, in order to prevent repeated cases of violence and to rehabilitate perpetrators of such crimes.

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Nephew of ex-President Nazarbayev to be Tried

The criminal case against Samat Abish, nephew of the former President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, is set to proceed to trial in Astana. The investigation conducted by the General Prosecutor's Office has concluded, and the case has been transferred to the courts. This will be the first time a relative of Nazarbayev has been tried on charges related to the violent events of January 2022. Details of the pre-trial investigation will not be made available to the public, as the case involves state secrets. Abish is being charged under Article 362 (Part 4) of the Criminal Code, "Exceeding official powers," which could result in up to five years imprisonment and the confiscation of property if he is convicted. Abish, aged 45, is the son of Satybaldy Abishevich Nazarbayev, the younger brother of the former president who died in a car accident in 1981. Abish took his surname in honor of his grandfather. Abish lost his position as the First Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan on January 5th 2022, amidst riots across the country. Alongside him, the head of the KNB, Karim Massimov, and the Prime Minister, Askar Mamin, were also dismissed. Two days later, Abish was detained in Almaty and charged in connection with the January events. Investigators attributed primary responsibility for the tumultuous events of early 2022 to Karim Massimov, Abish's direct supervisor, and his three deputies. President Tokayev stated during an extraordinary session of the CSTO Collective Security Council on January 10th 2023, that the events were an attempt to seize power by high-ranking officials. Abish's sibling, Kairat Satybaldy, was convicted on corruption charges last year for embezzling tens of millions of U.S. dollars.