Opposition leader wanted by Interpol now

Onalsyn Zhumabekov, Deputy General Prosecutor, has declared at a press conference in Astana as of 1 November that the 71th session of the Interpol General Assembly the validity of criminal persecution of Akezhan Kazhegeldin, ex-Prime Minister of RoK and lawfulness of the sentence against him made by the Supreme Court of RoK were recognised, KZ-today correspondent informs from Astana.

O.Zhumabekov has explained that the criminal case against A.Kazhegeldin was initiated in 1998. During the investigation the ex-Prime Minister of RoK fled and an international retrieval was announced, and in July 1999 he was included into the "red bulletin" of the Interpol. However, in February 2002, the General Secretariat of Interpol made a decision to cease A.Kazhegeldin's search. Appeals from private persons and government organisations about the presumably political character of A.Kazhegeldin's persecution by Kazakhstani authorities had served as a basis for that. On 21 June 2002 A.Kazhegeldin's search by Interpol was ceased.

As per article 13 of the Rules of international police cooperation and control over Interpol archives, according to which a disputable issue can be brought to the General Assambly consideration, the Interpol National Central Bureau of Kazakhstan initiated a reconsideration of the decision on A.Kazhegeldin's search. On 24 October 2002, Ronald Noble, Secretary General of Interpol, informed the members of the 71th session of the Interpol General Assembly about a resumption of A.Kazhegeldin's search and a renovation of the "red bulletin" (the record of service of the international search with a target of an arrest and extradition). As the Deputy General Prosecutor of RoK informed, representatives of only two countries voted against this decision - Zimbabwe and Uruguay.

"Wherever Kazhegeldin is, the policemen of the world will look for him, they are obliged to arrest him and inform Kazakhstani authorities", - O.Zhumabekov has said. He has also observed that "the passport to freedom" issued to A.Kazhegeldin recently by EU "does not create any obstacles for his arrest and extradition". Moreover he has stated that Kazkahstan is going to express to European Union "its disagreement with the issue of passport to freedom to A.Kazhegeldin".

Presently, according to O.Zhumabekov, the General Prosecutor's office of RoK does not possess any precise information of A.Kazhegeldin's whereabouts.

On 6 September 2001 by the sentence of the Supreme Court of RoK A.Kazhegeldin was returned guilty of the power abuses, receiving especially large bribes through extortion, illegal purchase and possession of arms and ammunition and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. The amount of the damage according to the facts confirmed at the sitting of the court was making more than $31 million.