The anti-corruption office of Kazakhstan said Wednesday that it had confiscated jewels valued at more than $230million in a case involving Nursultan Nazarbayev’s nephew.
The agency released a statement saying that “exclusive gems and precious gemstones worth 230 millions US dollars were seized as a result operational-search activities.”
The agency did not provide any details about the type of stones that were taken.
It confirmed to AFP that the jewels were discovered as part of a fresh investigation against Kairat Satybaldy (a nephew of Nazarbayev).
From 1991 to 2019, Nazarbayev (now 82) ruled Central Asia.
Satybaldy was taken into custody in March. He was charged with embezzlement of Kazakhtelecom, a national telecommunications operator, and other crimes that undermine state security.
In September, he was sentenced to six years in prison.
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Satybaldy was the first to be detained by the Nazarbayev clan.
Wednesday’s announcement by the anti-corruption agency was also made. It stated that $300 million he had abroad would be “soon given to Kazakhstan’s budget.”
More than 230 people were killed during riots in Central Asia in January 2021. The causes of the deaths are not known.
The current President Kassym Jomart Tokayev believed they were the result a plot from overseas. He claimed that terrorists wanted to seize power without ever providing any evidence.
Tokayev is up for re-election in November 20. He has since taken steps to improve his position and reduce the authority of his predecessor.
In September, the original name of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan was restored.