07 November 2013 | 12:35

EU countries resist extradition of fugitive Kazakhstan tycoons

Photo a courtesy of RIA Novosti

Some of the EU countries are resisting extradition of fugitive Kazakhstan tycoons, Tengrinews reports referring to CTV channel. “Kazakhstan has already sent 3 inquires to the European Commission. However, we haven’t got a positive reply on any of our inquiries. We’ve been working on this issue along with the Ministry of Justice since 1991. They (EC) are not letting us in, and always saying that we have a weak legal system in one area or another. This is a system of double standards. They, in fact, are sheltering criminals. Be it Britain, Switzerland or Austria,” said the Head of the Contractual Legal Division at the Department of International Cooperation of the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan Aibek Nurakhmetov at the yesterday's Senate meeting adding that he believed it unlikely that the attitude to Kazakhstan was going to change any time soon. According to the speaker this is the reason why Kazakhstan has to ratify extradition agreements with every EU country separately. Kazakhstan is currently working on the agreement with the Czech Republic, where two Kazakhstan fugitives are sheltering. Once the agreement comes into force, the Czech Republic will become the fifth country cooperating with Kazakhstan in apprehension of fugitive criminals. Earlier, at the presentation of the new draft Code of Criminal Procedures, First Deputy Prosecutor General Iogan Merkel said that the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) would enable Kazakhstan to confiscate the property of fugitive Kazakhstan tycoons. “Kazakhstan has joined the anti-corruption convention (UNCAC) that has the article 54, which obliges Kazakhstan to use this institute. It will be applied only if a defendant flees abroad and it is impossible to get him or her to return. In this case, a prosecutor files the required documents and applies to the court with a civil lawsuit. The court, then decides on the confiscation, but this confiscation decision does not automatically mean that the person is conviction,” said Mr. Merkel.

Some of the EU countries are resisting extradition of fugitive Kazakhstan tycoons, Tengrinews reports referring to CTV channel. “Kazakhstan has already sent 3 inquires to the European Commission. However, we haven’t got a positive reply on any of our inquiries. We’ve been working on this issue along with the Ministry of Justice since 1991. They (EC) are not letting us in, and always saying that we have a weak legal system in one area or another. This is a system of double standards. They, in fact, are sheltering criminals. Be it Britain, Switzerland or Austria,” said the Head of the Contractual Legal Division at the Department of International Cooperation of the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan Aibek Nurakhmetov at the yesterday's Senate meeting adding that he believed it unlikely that the attitude to Kazakhstan was going to change any time soon. According to the speaker this is the reason why Kazakhstan has to ratify extradition agreements with every EU country separately. Kazakhstan is currently working on the agreement with the Czech Republic, where two Kazakhstan fugitives are sheltering. Once the agreement comes into force, the Czech Republic will become the fifth country cooperating with Kazakhstan in apprehension of fugitive criminals. Earlier, at the presentation of the new draft Code of Criminal Procedures, First Deputy Prosecutor General Iogan Merkel said that the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) would enable Kazakhstan to confiscate the property of fugitive Kazakhstan tycoons. “Kazakhstan has joined the anti-corruption convention (UNCAC) that has the article 54, which obliges Kazakhstan to use this institute. It will be applied only if a defendant flees abroad and it is impossible to get him or her to return. In this case, a prosecutor files the required documents and applies to the court with a civil lawsuit. The court, then decides on the confiscation, but this confiscation decision does not automatically mean that the person is conviction,” said Mr. Merkel.

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