Gambit of “disgraced” banker

Since 2009 the Interpol searched for the former large banker and the donor of the Kazakh radical opposition Mukhtar Ablyazov who was granted asylum in Great Britain, accusing him of frauds in the territory of CIS countries and foreign countries with use of means of Kazakhstan “BTA Bank” and financial plunders for total amount over ten billion US dollars.

In 2008 Ablyazov obtained the credit 1 billion dollars in the Russian Central Bank on support of the Moscow branch. This money quickly left on the offshore. He returned the part of the credit at the expense of deposits of the Russian investors. The Russian bank went out of business, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and DIA, the state Russian Deposit Insurance Agency, accepted losses on more than billion dollars. Interpol searched for Mukhtar Ablyazov long time. Some time the fluent banker hid in England, however when Scotland Yard seriously became interested in his frauds, ran to France where he was arrested on July 31 of this year at the request of the Russian and Ukrainian intelligence services.

Here some weeks the news lines of the international mass media and Internet editions dazzle with messages about almost caused political crisis in Italy scandal round business on an extradition of the spouse and the daughter of the ancestor and “inspirer” of radical Kazakh opposition – “disgraced” oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov.

The story began on June 1 when the wife and daughter of Mukhtar Ablyazov were deported from Italy to Kazakhstan. On May 29 the law enforcement agencies of Italy together with the Interpol performed operation in the house located in the suburb of Rome where according to information which was available for them Mukhtar Ablyazov disappeared. Ablyazov was absent in the specified house, however, his daughter Alua and spouse Alma Shalabayeva were found there who has shown to the Italian law enforcement agencies the counterfeit passport of the Central African Republic, issued to Ayan Alma.

When the fact of a fake of the passport was established, Alma Shalabayeva reported police about the Kazakhstan nationality. Then for violation of the migratory legislation the Italian authorities initiated the process of deportation of A.Shalabayeva and her daughter to Kazakhstan. Now members of the family of the oligarch live with parents of the wife in Almaty.

After that the Kazakhstan mass media which is under control to M. Ablyazov, as if on command, at the same time began to trumpet about “secret arrangement between Italy and Kazakhstan”, about “cool capture of hostages” and about “innocent victims of Nazarbayev regime”, creating thus a noble image of the national hero to M. Ablyazov who isn't sparing in fight against his main opponent – Nursultan Nazarbayev.

However, if to reject all these bright epithets and an emotional background and sensibly to look at a situation, there are questions explanations on which suggest an idea of large-scale PR action carefully planned by the former banker.

So, by the amount of attraction of means and forces it is clear that all this story was started for M. Ablyazov's capture, instead of his family. But why he managed to leave and didn't take away the wife and child?

Probably, he wasn’t there. Then why he didn't undertake the same security measures as for himself personally - made normal, qualitative documents for protection of the family, provided the translator, protection and lawyers? Didn't consider that they are threatened by such danger in the European country? Probably…

Then most important question: the detention of the wife and the child occurred in the morning on Wednesday … The address to the public in which for the first time it was published the happened which lifted a storm on the Internet, responses of mass media worldwide and awe of all government bodies of Kazakhstan and Italy, was made in the morning on Saturday when members of his family were already in Kazakhstan... Why did he wait for three days? After all the timely sensation on the Internet and world mass media unambiguously would slow down any, even if lawful, deportation. As a result, who appeared in the greatest benefit? It is paradoxical, but in this situation Mukhtar Ablyazov.

Firstly, he received the sympathy of simple citizens of Kazakhstan.
Secondly, supported an image of the main political opponent Nazarbayev. Thirdly, called the legal systems of the European countries, first of all Italy and indirectly England into question.

Search of answers to the questions given above pushes on not so pleasant conclusions. It turns out that he actually voluntary gave a family in a charge of the Italian police, having logically assumed that further it extradite to Kazakhstan. In parallel he developed in the press a sensation around allegedly violated rights and freedoms of the wife and the daughter. Agree, it is really an ingenious course.

In this case not the family of Ablyazov, but the authorities of Kazakhstan become “hostages” of a situation within scandal of the international scale. Thus family values leave on the second plan, giving way to aspiration to return of escaping popularity and receiving more advantageous strategic position in political struggle. It seems that here we have purely chess combination “on the live bait”, “worthy” inclusions in textbooks on “black” public relations in uncompromising race for power.

However everything came to an end as in an old Russian proverb “The pitcher goes often to the well…”.
Now Mukhtar Ablyazov is in one of the Parisian prisons, expecting the forthcoming court which will solve to what of the countries he will be extradited. And Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Baltic States and England “look forward to him”.

Ablyazov's supporters ask the French diplomats and politicians to prevent his transfer to the former Soviet Union countries, claiming that “the present governments of Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan closely cooperate among themselves and have the similar political regimes posing real threat to safety of M. Ablyazov”.

However, here the matter is not only in strong friendship, integration and allied relations. Russia has the scores for companion Ablyazov - on the whole billion dollars of the Russian taxpayers …