Continuing our musings on the subject of Astana LRT and the affect this über-high-profile case has had on Kazakhstan’s local political developments, we would like to call the readers’ attention to the person who is now sitting at the defendant’s bench, entrepreneur Darren Abdykhamitov
Let us, once again, cite the testimony of Ayna Irzhanova reposted by Sputnik Kazakhstan in the publication tittled “Witness Says Ex-Chair of Astana LRT Never Wanted to Sign Reports of Completion”.
The Judge asked Ayna Irzhanova if she knew the accused, Dauren Abdykhamitov. The witness reported that Dauren Abdykhamitov was a friend of Talgat Ardan.
“Yes, I know him. Talgat Ardan introduced him to me as his friend. I know that, de-facto, he was involved in the Nur Trade and MG Pro companies. When we were being introduced to the companies’ representatives, Dauren Abdykhamitov was also present and Talgat Ardan said - “thanks to my friend, we have found the companies that will help us to implement this project”. And during the implementation of the projects, Abdykhamitov was on occasion present in our office where we would discuss their implementation and the contractual performance. He used to visit Talgat Ardan practically every day, he would also come into his office”, said Irzhanova.
She added that Abdykhamitov “had participated in the implementation of our projects personally”. “If Nur Trade and MG Pro had a problem with payments, he would come and inquire what needed to be done for the payment to be completed, which documents were lacking, what was standing in the way and so forth”, said the witness.
Answering the Judge’s question, she specified that Ardan and Abdykhamitov were close friends. “Talgat Ardan had told this to me a number of times. As I’ve said, practically every day, Abdykhamitov Dauren Serikovich would come to the office, visit Talgat Ardan, they would talk. He would wait for our staff meeting to end, and the come into the office”, said Irzhanova”.
Our interest to Darren Abdykhamitov stems from the fact that not only was he “spotted” in several other business-cases and not in a particularly fine fashion but he also’s got a wide range connections in the Kazakh business elite. Earlier, we have written that the entrepreneur was arrested only after Dariga Nazarbayeva, the eldest daughter of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Leader of the Nation, had lost her position as the Senators of the Kazakh Parliament.
Here is a quote from our publication “The Drive Against Dariga’s Clan Has Started”
“We are talking about the recent arrest of certain Dauren Abdykhamitov in Almaty. His last name has already been mentioned in the Kazakh media in relation to the uber-scandalous LRT case. Unfortunately, we have not been able to find Mr. ABdykhambetov’s biography in open sources. Nonetheless we can say that he used to chair RTRK Kazakhstan JSC which he left after a high-profile scandal. He also used to work at the Atameken National Entrepreneurs Chamber and in several other more or less notable structures.
According to our insiders, the arrest of Dauren Abdykhamitov who had already been wanted in connection with the LRT case, was conducted by the siloviks only after Dariga Nazarbayeva had lost the chair of the Head of the Senate of the Kazakh Parliament.
The reason for that we see in the fact that this person is very close to both Dariga herself and her son Nurali Aliyev. Abdykhamitov had tightly cooperated with the latter when the eldest grandson of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan worked as a Deputy of the Mayor of Astana (currently Nur-Sultan). As for Ms. Nazarbayeva, the arrested, apart from other things, used to represent her interests in the United Arab Emirates, among others things, by solving the everyday life problems of her daughter Venera who resides there with her husband Dalen Chayzhunusov.
Thus, Dauren Abdykhamitov is a very well-informed person who can tell many things to the investigators on the subject of the scandalous project in Nur-Sultan as well as on the business and personal monetary and other operations that Dariga Nazarbayeva and Nurali Aliyev’s clan conducted”.
Moreover, according to information we’ve received, Dauren Abdykhamitov had had tight connections with yet another representative of the country’ “reigning” family as part of the Aktobe Refinery (Akrobeneftepererabotka LLP) project. We are talking about Nurbol Nazarbayev, Bolat Nazarbayev’s son and, therefore, Nursultan Nazarbayev’s nephew.
So, if Mr. Abdykhamitov starts talking, many of those who are ruling the country today and, even under today’s dire circumstances, continue having a luxurious lifestyle will be harmed big time.
In view of this, we’re inclined to believe the people close to Dariga Nazarbayeva’s family who say:
it is likely that, after the court ruling on the Astana LRT case will have been reached and the case leaves the public sight line, the sentences will be reviewed and the convicted persons will be included in the amnesty that is to take place in 2021.
