The trial on Zhanbolat Mamay’s case: The third day

On August 22 Zhanbolat Mamay took the stand.

He once again confirmed that he was not personally aquainted with Ablyazov and was only 17 years old and studied at school at the time when alleged embezzlement took place.

The idea to publish an independent newspaper came to him in 2011, but he had  little money for that. At that very time Zharimbetov proposed financial support and said that he could make the newspaper self-sufficient within one year.

That support lasted for one and a half years and then the newspaper became self-sufficient.

When asked by the prosecutor who funded his trip to Austria, Mamay replied that he funded it himself. The prosecutor objected that Zharimbetov offered to fund the trip in his message to Mamay. Acording to the prosecutor, that message is contained in the gadgets and offcie equipment seized by the investigators. Thedefencedeclaredtheprotest.  

While asking the questions the prosecutor insisted that the newspaper was focused on articles about Ablyazov, but Mamay objected that the newspaper contained 24 pages and covered all interesting  local and international events.  

Mamay admitted that he was receiving financial support for the newspaper from Zharimbetov but he did not associate it the the emblezzement since at that time he was not aware that Zharimbetov was one of BTA Bank top managers. Besides, Mamay satted that at the time he got aquainted with Zharimbetov he did not work for BTA Bank any longer and cut all the ties with Ablyazov.  

He learnt about Zharimbetov’s detention in January 2017.

When asked by the prosecutor if he knew the origin of Zharimbetov’s money, Mamay replied that he had never asked him that quiestion since he considered it to be impolite.

Zharimbetov’s financial support was a gratris aid, he never demanded money back and call his support the contribution to the development of civil society and independent media.

The judge satisfied the motion about Amirzhan Kosanov’s interrogation.

Kosanov told that he had been a journalist for all his life and that it is why it was his pleasure to agree for writing a column “The week through Kosanov’s eyes” in the newspaper. When asked by Mamay’s lawers if the defendant ever interfered into his work, Kosanov replied that it never happened since they had equal working relations. He asked who was behind the newspaper and Mamay said that the newspaper was funded by business and any topic can be covered.

When asked whether Kosanov wrote articles about Ablyazov, he replied he did, since he knew him personally. He wrote critical articles, including one saying that Ablyazov should rejoin all the charges brought against him.

Kosanov said that Mamay never applied to Ablyazov for sponsorship. At the end of the interrogation, Kosanov called today's process a disgrace for those who are behind this trial.

 The lawyers filed a petition for additional interrogation of Zharimbetov and of the witness Yermurat Bapi. The judge granted the petition and ordered to  invite them to the next hearing, on August 24th.