Prosecutor requested four years of restriction of freedom for Zhanbolat Mamay

On September 4, oral arguments  took place at Zhanbolat Mamay’s case hearings.  

The judge gave the floor to the prosecution. It took the prosecutor quite a long time to tell in details about Ablyazov’s criminal group and Zharimbetov’s sponsorship of “Tribuna” newspaper. According to the prosecutor the money that Mamay received from Zharimbetov were gained by crime in the interests of Ablyazov. The prosecutor said that the fact of legalization of money through the newspaper was established, though he did not present any evidence that those money were ever returned to Ablyazov . The defence pointed that out.

Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on Laundering, Identification, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (Legalization of Funds). However, the defence bevlieves that there is no evidence in the case materials of "the extraction of property, funds known to be illegal", there are no documents confirming the refund of money to Ablyazov and Ablyazov himself was not interrogated during the court hearings. Also, in the verdict of the criminal court against Ablyazov and Zharimbetov, there are no episodes related to Mamay in any way.

The prosecutor, taking into account all the circumstances and the fact that Mamay has an infant  and elderly parents, requested four years of restriction of freedom and a 3-year ban on journalistic activities with confiscation of property.

The next hearing is scheduled for 5 PM on September 6. The defendant will say his last word at the hearings.