23 апреля 2014 14:06

UK revokes Ablyazov's refugee status

Mukhtar Ablyazov. © Tengrinews/Yaroslav Radlovskiy

Great Britain has announced its decision to terminate the refugee status of a former Kazakhstan banker and minister accused of fraud and money laundering, Tengrinews reports citing the Financial Times.

Accused of embezzling $6 billion from BTA he used to lead, Mukhtar Ablyazov was granted the refugee status in 2011, however in January this year he received a notification from the UK Home Office about its intention to cancel it.

Ablyazov’s legal team strongly condemned the move as being in violation of the international laws protecting refugees. “After properly granting refugee status to Mr Ablyazov in 2011, the United Kingdom now seems to have fallen victim to an insidious misinformation campaign. The decision taken is not only unlawful and ungrounded, but the Home Office is not revealing the truth about it," Ablyazov’s lawyer Peter Sahlas told the Financial Times.

Ablyazov’s lawyers allege the existence of covert communications between the UK and Kazakhstan on the issue. They also claim that there are documents which prove that UK Prime Minister David Cameron wished to erase this issue as it was an obstacle to better relationships with Kazakhstan.

UK BTA Bank Europe Financial Times France fraud Kazakh Kazakhstan London news opposition Ablyazov

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