Ablyazov Mukhtar Kabulovich

Ablyazov Mukhtar Kabulovich

Biography

2011: Revocation of the license from AMT Bank

In 2011, the Russian Central Bank revoked the license from AMT Bank, controlled by Ablyazov. Before that, in the fall of 2008, the bank received a loan from the Central Bank for 28 billion rubles (about $1 billion), secured by land in the Domodedovo district of the Moscow region. In 2012, the real value of this land, according to the examination, did not exceed 3.8 billion rubles. The Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) paid 12 billion rubles ($400 million) to depositors of AMT Bank.

2014: Rehabilitation of BTA-Kazan with the participation of Tatfondbank

In 2014, the Central Bank announced the beginning of the financial recovery of BTA-Kazan of another asset of Ablyazov. The reorganization took place with the participation of Tatfondbank Robert Mussin (later found himself under criminal proceedings). In April 2015, the bank changed its name to Timer Bank. Then a loan of 10 billion rubles. allocated DIA.

In 2019, the same bank was sanitized again, but already with the participation of Rostec: at the expense of the next loan from the Central Bank of 2.9 billion rubles.

2020:15 years in prison in absentia in the case of embezzlement of more than 58 billion rubles of funds from a credit institution

At the end of December 2020, the Tagansky District Court of Moscow sentenced the ex-head of BTA-Bank Mukhtar Ablyazov to 15 years in prison in a criminal case of embezzlement of more than 58 billion rubles of funds from a credit institution. The verdict was passed in absentia, since the banker is hiding from law enforcement agencies in Russia and Kazakhstan. He resides in France, which refused to extradite him.

In addition to Mukhtar Ablyazov, the former chairman of the bank's board Roman Solodchenko, as well as their subordinates Artur Trofimov, Igor Kononko, Tatyana Paraskevich, Anatoly Ereshchenko and Alexander Udovenko, were convicted. They were found guilty of committing crimes under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (fraud), part 3 of Art. 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (legalization of property obtained as a result of committing a crime), as well as paragraph "a," "b" of part 3 of Art. 165 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (causing especially large damage by deception by an organized group), the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation said in a statement. In addition, the court satisfied the civil claim of BTA Bank in the amount of more than 173 billion rubles.

According to the investigation, in 2006-2009, the accused stole more than 58 billion rubles of BTA Bank. To this end, they issued loans secured by land plots purchased with borrowed funds. Subsequently, Ablyazov, together with his accomplices, organized the illegal termination of mortgage agreements. As a result, the bank lost the possibility of foreclosure on collateral items, and the attackers disposed of the property at their discretion, including selling it to third parties.

In addition, the accomplices, on the basis of cession agreements, transferred to companies controlled by them the right to claim funds for a number of loans issued by BTA-Bank. As a result, these companies received the funds due to the bank, the Prosecutor General's Office reports.^[1]

2022: Termination of trial in Paris

In January 2022, the Paris court decided to terminate the prosecution of the head of the board of directors of the Kazakhstan BTA Bank Mukhtar Ablyazov, who lives in France and was convicted in absentia in Kazakhstan for embezzlement, due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.

The media reported that Ablyazov was one of the organizers of rallies and riots in Kazakhstan in January 2022. A graduate of Moscow MEPhI University, he began to incite a nationalist wave against Russians. He also stated that Russian troops would not leave the territory of Kazakhstan.

2023: Order to leave France

French law enforcement agencies demanded that Mukhtar Ablyazov leave the country within 30 days. The former head of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank himself announced this on his Facebook page (owned by Meta, whose activities in Russia are recognized as extremist and banned) in early July 2023.

I was given 30 days to leave France. I'm suing, "Ablyazov wrote.

Mukhtar Ablyazov

The ex-banker also asked for financial assistance in his statement to challenge the decision of the French authorities in court. According to the prescription, Ablyazov must go to any country that is ready to accept him. The order is based on a Dec. 8, 2022 decision by the National Court of Refugee Rights (CNDA) that rejected an appeal against Ablyazov's order to strip him of political asylum.

However, as Ablyazov specified, he allegedly cannot leave France, since he does not have a passport or visa at his disposal, as well as in connection with the proceedings opened against him by BTA Bank, which is why he is forbidden to leave the country.

The obligation to leave France (Obligation de quitter la France, OQTF) provides that an asylum seeker may be required to leave the country "if the permit has been rejected, taken away or cannot be extended."

Ablyazov and his lawyers have 15 days to file a complaint - from the moment of filing until the decision is made, the OQTF is suspended. OQTF is widely applied to people who do not have the right to reside in France or have lost it. Less than 10% of liability recipients follow these guidelines. The ban is usually 12 months from the date of issue. A foreigner can fulfill the order and return to France, again requesting a residence permit.

Ablyazov was sentenced in absentia to imprisonment for participation in a criminal community, embezzlement of property, legalization of criminally obtained funds, abuse of power, as well as for the murder of the former head of the bank, Yerzhan Tatishev. In addition to Kazakhstan, he is also wanted by the authorities of Russia and Ukraine.^[2]

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