It looks like the Kazakh public is soon to encounter a new gigantic scandal. It will be tied to the name of the hero-astronaut Talgat Musabayev. And if the people «upstairs» will not interfere, many unexpected details may float to the surface.
On October 11, 2018, Nur.kz news portal published an article titled «An Almaty Businessman Accuses Astronaut Talgat Musabayev of Pressuring». Then it explained that «Businessman Bakhyt Niyazov accused the hero-astronaut of pressuring him and Musabayev’s niece Gulnara of corporate raiding».
Here are some quotes (text in bold by kz.expert).
«The investor claims that Gulnara Musabayeva and her husband Viktor Morozov intend to take over his business hiding behind the last name of their famous relative.
In 2013, Niyazov invested 300 mln tenge in building town-houses at the foothill belt of Almaty. Viktor Morozov and Gulnara Musabayeva turned out to be the land’s owners. The project was never realized. The construction was not finished.
Soon, the husband and wife were found in the UAE. In 2016, Niyazov decided to make a deal — buy out their share and give them several apartments in the under-construction town-house as a bonus.
The agreement was signed but then Talgat Musabayev’s relatives revised their position and demanded 2 $ mln, says the businessman.
«This last name always has its weight, and, in this case too, when his relatives initiate the conflicts, they use Talgat Musabayev’s name which had disturbed me from the very beginning», complains Bakhyt Niyazov.
«Also, he was asked whether his relatives Gulnara and Viktor owed about 1.5 $ bln to local banks. Again, Musabayev said that he had no information on the subject. «I don’t know who owes what to whom!», said he».
However, as the portal informs, Musabayev may know about the debts of his relatives since Algabas Development LLP that they own owes 1.5 $ bln to Kazakh banks.
We believe this long-standing business conflict that has suddenly penetrated the information space may ignite a huge scandal in Kazakhstan. The thing is that, the Niyazov-Musabayeva-Morozov confrontation, will certainly fish out many facts that will be detrimental not only to them.
For instance, Viktor Morozov is likely to be reminded of the fact that, at the beginning of his business career, he was in charge of Astana-Polis which was Mukhtar Ablyazov’s Astana-Holding’s subsidiary. Then, later, his Algabas Development LLP took a most active participation in the multi-billion construction projects carried out by the Governor Offices of Almaty and Astana when they were governed by Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Russia Imangali Tasmagambetov.
The size of the Algabas Development debt disclosed by the press seems even an more problematic issue. The unbiased assessment of the debt performed by the state competent agencies in terms of its validity, accuracy and legality may lead to opening of many resonant criminal investigations and guilty verdicts.
All the more so, since a part of the Algabas Development debt was bought by the government from Kazkommertsbank as part of Akorda’s Halyk Bank rescue deal. The size of the deal in which the Problem Loans Fund acted as a direct buyer is shocking — 811 400 781 $.63 and 106 809 641 107.75 tenge.
In our opinion, those who stay behind Viktor Morozov can certainly understand these risks. And we are not only talking about astronaut Talgat Musabayev who serves as a Deputy of the Kazakh Parliament. Therefore, the conflict is likely to be put to rest, perhaps not instantly and not at the first go-off.
After all, in the final analysis, it is in tune with the Kazakh common business-practice tied to the big public contracts and the spending of the budget funds: when the «war» becomes too dangerous and risky, third parties or the state itself interfere and then the conflict ends with punishing the fall guys or with absolutely nothing.
