Our readers are probably wondering why Talgat Musabayev – the number two astronaut in Kazakhstan, a lieutenant general of the Kazakh aviation, a Ph.D. in technical science, and the head of the Kazakhstan Space Administration – has been released from his post of the presidential adviser.
It happened on July 13, 2017. By Nursultan Nazarbayev’s order, Talgat Musabayev was released from the position of the president’s advisor and appointed a senator.
On the one hand, all of it looks quite logical since Talgat Musabayev was born in 1951 and, on January 7, 2017, he turned 66 years of age. On the other hand, as we can see from Musabayev’s biography, it is unlikely that Nazarbayev will find a better advisor on the aerospace affairs in Kazakhstan.
Nonetheless, Musabayev has left the administration.
Our sources indicate that, in actuality, his resignation had to do with the new data made public in connection with the Airbus international scandal. Those who wish to learn more about it can find the information in the Le gigantesque scandale de corruption qui menace Airbus article published by Mediapart.fr (unfortunately, payment for content access is required).
The article states that there have been found traces of yet another money transfer to Kazakhstan state officials (8 mln euros, supposedly). The money was transferred through Singapore as part of the satellite purchase deal. And since Talgat Musabayev had been in charge of the Space Administration from 2007 to 2016, he, once again, shows up at the top of the list of those suspected of receiving the bribes from the Airbus company.
Apart from Talgat Musabayev, another high-rank official may find himself in the firing line, our sources say. We are talking about Marat Nurguzhin, the Vice-Minister of Defense and Aerospace Industry (see the department’s website).
And this is not all. Our sources name one more figurant of the international scandal, a certain Terekhov who is, supposedly, the Airbus representative in the CIS. He had also, allegedly, participated in the backstage Earth observation satellite purchase deals acting in the interests of Kazakhstan.
