Kospayev Organized Crime Group Trial to Be Held behind Closed Doors

The main trial has begun in the case of the organized crime group of Yeldos Kospayev. Kospayev was known as Bolat Nazarbayev's "right hand." The trial will be behind closed doors, for which there are official and unofficial reasons, Orda.kz reports.

Trial's Starting Point

The preliminary hearings on the Kospayev organized crime group case have ended in the Astana Specialized Interdistrict Criminal Court. The main hearings will begin on September 24. The main defendant, Yeldos Kospayev, has been known as the "right hand" of Bolat Nazarbayev, the brother of the first president. In criminal circles, he was nicknamed Ludoyed (man-eater - Ed.). The history and reach of the organized crime group's activities are quite extensive. 

According to publicly available data, there are 11 people in the dock: 

• Yeldos Kospayev
• Aidos Kospayev
• Aibek Kospaev
• Yerlan Imashev
• Ruslan Shalin
• Oksana Kudryasheva
• Timur Tanashev
• Alexey Kuznetsov
• Dastan Abizhanov
• Rauan Babayev
• Asar Altynbasarov.

They have been charged with corporate raiding, theft, creating a criminal organization, document forgery, and several other charges. 

Some sources report that there are 12 defendants, but it is impossible to be sure. By a court order, the trial is closed. Documents cannot be opened in the online court resource; those participating in the trial cite a ban on disclosing information.

The trial has been officially closed because one of the defendants has been charged with a crime against sexual inviolability. This was reported in a comment to the media by the Chair of the Astana City Court, Aizhan Kulbayeva. During the preliminary hearings, the court ruled that the trial would be closed, Talgat Kustavletov, a representative of the injured party, clarified.

According to lawyers whose names we cannot disclose, most defendants were also initially in favor of an open trial, but they stopped insisting on it during the preliminary hearings. 

Meanwhile, the press service of the city court refuses to comment on this case, citing the fact that the process is closed; they do not have the right to disclose information. They can be understood: our judicial system does not assume openness in principle, and when there is a decision to close the process, all the court employees remain quiet.

The lawyer community also behaves with a heightened sense of self-preservation. Attempts to obtain any, even non-secret, information about this proceeding from the capital's lawyers came to naught. Some have admitted they fear losing their lawyer's license over talking to the media about this case.

According to the investigation, members of the Kospayev organized crime group seized the property of entrepreneurs through violence and threats, took away their shares in companies, and also engaged in illicit business activities. As part of the investigation, the property of the organized crime group obtained by criminal means has been seized: 133 real estate objects, 11 land plots, 35 premium cars, and nine million dollars in cash.

The Kospayev brothers, Yeldos and Aibek, and Bolat Nazarbayev's daughter Kunduz, were among the founders (stakeholders) of AV Construction. On October 12, 2017, Almas Abdygapparov took over the management of the business. And new faces appeared among the founders (stakeholders). Kospayev's brother, Aidos, Abdygapparov's mother, Saule Dzhunusbekova, and Gulzikhan Beimisheva joined their ranks.

On October 18, Kunduz Nazarbayev and Yeldos Kospayev became the owners of the construction company. Almas Abdygapparov told Orda's founder, Gulnara Bazhkenova, about the situation.

The Kospayev brothers and other members of the organized crime group tried to evade law enforcement in Northern Cyprus. A KNB operation returned them to Kazakhstan, however. 

The investigation into the case against Yeldos Kospayev's organized crime group was completed on March 1, 2024. Then came the stage of case material familiarization - 508 volumes. 

The case was sent to the Specialized Interdistrict Court of Astana for Criminal Cases, which decided to conduct the trial behind closed doors. Preliminary hearings have ended, the court announced the start of the main trial, today, September 24, the questioning of witnesses is set to begin.

Orda.kz is monitoring the situation.

Original Auhtor: Anastasia Prilepskaya