Yesterday press service of the Foreign Ministry held a briefing and told an incredible story about the runaway of Mukhtar Aliyev – prominent surgeon and father of disgraced former presidential son-in-law – from his son. According to the MFA, Aliyev Sr. allegedly crawled over the fence, which surrounds the Rakhat’s mansion in Vienna, and got to the Kazakh embassy to beg for protection from his son. The disseminated statement, written by Mukhtar Aliyev at the embassy, reads that his son forcibly detained him under convoy, and took away his money, passport, cellphone and personal belongings. Besides, it was announced that elderly Aliyev would come to Astana next day and give a press conference there.

comes this apparent retraction:

Mukhtar Aliev, the father of Rakhat Aliev — the former son-in-law of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev — has left the Kazakh Embassy in Vienna and is denying reports of problems with his son, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reports.

Mukhtar Aliev told RFE/RL that the allegations made by the Kazakh Foreign Ministry about his son keeping him in Vienna since October by taking his travel documents are untrue.

I repeat that the problem with people’s lack of faith in the government has nothing to do with whether there is corruption or not, whether the government’s actions are always morally pure or not–all governments in all nations engage in questionable activities. The problem is that no one knows who or what to believe, meaning that the unbelievable becomes plausible and the real becomes unbelievable.

Most people familiar with Central Asian politics will recognize that Rakhat Aliyev, one time son-in-law of the President lives in Vienna and sought asylum there after arrest warrants for him were issued in Kazakhstan. He was convicted last year in absentia of plotting to overthrow the government, kidnapping and financial crimes. A seperate military tribunal found him guilty of treason. Aliyev and his crony/accomplice have claimed that attempts to kidnap them have been made to capture them. These arrests appear to support the conclusion that Kazakhstan is willing to do anything to bring Aliyev back to Kazakhstan. It will be interesting to see what happens in Austrian and Kazakhstan relations if the KNB persists in these tactics.

Now accusations have come forward that two agents serving in the British Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, leaked information to Global Options Management, a private consulting firm that was hired by the Nazarbayev family.

According to the Sunday Times:

One MI6 officer is said to have divulged that MI6 was “closely observing” the role of Hurricane Hydrocarbons, a Canadian oil company, and financial arrangements involving oilfields in Kazakhstan. A second MI6 officer is alleged to have revealed information that the service held on Akezhan Kazhegeldin, the former Kazakh prime minister. The report also contains information that it claims was given by Scotland Yard detectives.

These reports, if true, obviously compromise British Intelligence, Global Options for using illegal information, and the Nazarbayev family. However, the British government says that the report by Global Options Management does not coincide with MI6′s reports and it has been suggested that the consultants that compiled the report may have embellished or distorted information that they received. The Kazakhstan embassy in London “denied that his government had been involved in any inappropriate or illegal activity.”

However the plot thickens:

The company is chaired by Alexander Mirtchev, who is an economic adviser to the Kazakhstan government and a director of the country’s sovereign wealth fund. Political opponents of the Kazakh regime claim that Mirtchev is Nazarbayev’s “point man” in Washington and that he helps to manage some of the Kazakh leader’s wealth.

Mirtchev last week declined to comment. Matt Lauer, his spokesman, said: “Alexander Mirtchev is a respected business consultant based in the United States who rigorously abides by the laws and regulations of any country in which he operates.”

Privately, aides said Mirtchev was “aware” of a report. But, shown a copy of the relevant extracts of the report, they declined to comment publicly.

Most notably, Rakhat Aliyev most definitely does read the Wall Street Journal In fact, in a recent interview he outlined detailed allegations of corruption involving the President. As The Registan points out, none of the scandals he invokes are new. But the level of detail he provides is. And the fact that he provides alleged documents proving his claim. While Josh speculates on Aliyev’s motivation, the WSJ believes Aliyev might be seeking US protection–if he has information useful to the US and can prove that he is at risk of harassment or assassination, US security might be willing to offer him protection. Or at least, the bigger a noise he makes, the more noise his disappearance would make–providing a disincentive if anyone wants to get rid of him. That of course gives Aliyev motivation to provide false evidence or exaggerate what documents he does have. Adam Kesher at Neweuraisa makes another good point. Aliyev apparently produced blank ballots from the 1999 Election claiming that they were given to him to stuff boxes. Well, that doesn’t say much about Aliyev’s innocence, does it?

The other big scandal regarding lobbyist Stephen Payne is being very well covered and I have no insights to add. Check out:

• The Roberts Report for excellent and clear explanation and links to documents and primary sources
• The Registan has the video of Payne recommending that Akayev make a donation to the Bush Presidential Library if he wants access to powerful people *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*
  And this just in:
• from the Times UK
  

  In a covertly recorded video Payne appeared to confirm that he had been instrumental in getting a UN certificate for Timur Kulibayev, the billionaire son-in-law of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the president of Kazakhstan.

  The document is not a passport but according to UN spokesman it confers “privileges which are akin to those of representatives of governments” on the bearer when travelling abroad.

  In practice this means he or she is less likely to be impeded at airports by customs or other regulatory bodies.

  Of course whether his claim is true or whether he was bragging to a new client is something for the courts to decide.

  Tomorrow I’ll write about the good news, I promise! There are a number of heartwarming stories out about Kazakhstan and even a few stories that make the government look really good!

Rakhat Aliyev has shown his interest in embarrassing the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and his colleagues. In the months between the call for his arrest and his trials in absentia for treason, kidnapping, assault, and illegal business practices, Aliyev released a number of phone calls of high political officials, members of the Nurotan party, and businessmen. Perhaps his interest in appearing in the Kazakhgate trials is to embarrass the powers that be in Kazakhstan further, either out of revenge or in the hopes of brokering a deal so that he can return to power.

GlobalOptions Management was hired by Ms. Nazarbayeva to collect information. Their report includes financial details and names of key witnesses. GlobalOptions apparently did not violate any laws because it did not seek to influence the outcome or collect classified or secret information. However, if this report, which was apparently viewed by members of the Kazakhstan government, fell into the wrong hands one wonders what damage it could do.

We may well find out. Rakhat Aliyev, former husband of Dariga Nazarbayeva and recently convicted in-absentia of plotting to violently overthrow the government, apparently has the report now. He has not been shy about posting what he claims are phone calls between high government officials and businessmen on the web. One wonders what he plans to do with this document. Sean Roberts has a few speculations and I can’t think of anything to add to his list.

Alnur Musayev, who has held various security positions including head of the National Security Committee and head of the Presidential Guard (as did Aliyev formerly) was also convicted for conspiring with Aliyev. Musayev is allegedly also in Austria with Aliyev. Both men would begin their sentence were they to return to Kazakhstan or be extradited.

According to the report from the Office of the Prosecutor, shown on Khabar television last night, starting in 1996 Aliyev and Musayev used their positions in security organizations to assemble a military force with the goal of overthrowing the government violently. These men were spread throughout police and military organizations such as the Presidential Guard, the KNB, and the Financial Police to disguise their purposes. Aliyev personally paid them to ensure their loyalty to him.

The prosecutor mentioned that Aliyev had put together a media empire that covered the entire territory of Kazakhstan (until the sale of these assets to his ex-wife Dariga Nazarbayeva and/or their nationalization) and had Internet resources ready to spread propaganda.

Aliyev and Musayev apparently also developed a new kind of poison,which may have been tested on human beings, and prepared over 1000 doses for the purpose of assassinations. Toward this end he prepared James Bond like pens that also can shoot poison. Furthermore the two were assembling radioactive material.

When you add to this the telephone calls that Aliyev allegedly recorded from bugs in the phones of various high government leaders, Aliyev seems to have had quite a bit of power and reach. It’s probably for the best that he is sequestered in Austria at the moment.

The judge also recommended that he be stripped of all state titles and awards, something only the President can do.

The sentence of 20 years will begin when he is arrested–if, of course, he is arrested.

As RFE/RL notes, there are a number of unanswered questions as of yet, including:

who gets Aliev’s confiscated property? When his wife Darigha, President Nazarbaev’s eldest daughter, divorced Aliev last year she received some of his possessions and property. Does she get the rest now? And what about their eldest child, Nurali, who now, at the age of 22, is chairman of the board at Nurbank, the company in which his father used strong-arm tactics to acquire a majority stake? It seems he will keep his position.

And there are also questions of the exact legal status and conditions for a trial-in-absentia. Or why the government chose not to wait until he was detained to try him.

The next trial will begin 23 Jan and will be a military tribunal to determine if Aliev and 12 confederates plotted a coup d’etat and disclosed state secrets.

The only theory I can offer is that somewhere in the mix of team loyalties there would have been some opposition in Parliament to these appointments. Anyone more familiar with how these ties work is most invited to comment.

Another move making some news is the dismissal of Timur Kulibayev, the President’s son-in-law as deputy chairman of Samruk, the national holding company that oversees Kazmunaigas among other major state enterprises. No reason was given, but most people feel it was meant to counterbalance the annihilation of Rakhat Aliyev as a political force. Rumors abound that Kulibayev was biding his time, waiting for Aliyev to fall out of grace, so that he could step into the President’s chair. The President may either be trying to block another rival for power, by dismissing Kulibayev or he may be trying to quell rumors that Kulibayev is now in the ascendancy. Or it may be a feint, to ensure that Kulibayev’s future career is not tainted with rumors of preference and nepotism.

Some people have suggested that Kulibayev essentially engineered the conflict between the President and Aliyev, knowing well Aliyev’s short temper and ambitions to lead the nation. If this is the case, Kulibayev may be reaping the harvest of playing with the President but only time will tell if he falls further, or suddenly becomes Prime Minister!