Fugitive Kazakh Banker Ablyazov Says Did Not Finance Recent Protests In Kazakhstan

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th January, 2022) Mukhtar Ablyazov, a former Kazakh banker who has fled to France, said in an interview with Sputnik that he had not financed the recent mass protests in Kazakhstan.

"No," the ex-banker said when asked about financing the protests.

"Imagine that someone walks around with money and knocks on the door of some ... people and says 'let me give you money' ... How can this money be distributed?" he added, noting it is impossible.

The fugitive banker also said that he was not involved in the first protests held on January 2 due to the increase in gas prices, but called for the protests to be continued on January 3-4, when the authorities had already complied with the demands of the people and abolished the price increase.

Earlier this month, Director of the Kazakh Institute of World Economy and politics Yerzhan Saltybaev said that the influence on the protests of Ablyazov, a government minister who has claimed to be the leader of the Kazakh opposition movement, is very limited despite his significant financial resources.

Ablyazov, who has been residing abroad for many years, was sentenced to life in prison in absentia in Kazakhstan for murder and embezzlement.