Synopsis of October 15 Police Press Conference in Qonayev

Yesterday, October 15, 2024, a press conference was held in Qonayev. Its topic concerned the situation surrounding Sherzat Polat's death and his family. The speakers demonstrated a video from the Kamazhay store and answered journalists' questions. Before the briefing, the video had been illegally leaked to the Internet.

The conference organizers initially emphasized that they had to hold it because, as First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Bauyrzhan Alenov noted, false information about what happened has been actively disseminated in society, especially on social networks. 

He also noted that the case is under specific supervision:

There is a lot of speculation and unreliable information now. This makes the work of the investigative team, which is already under strong public pressure, very difficult. There is a confidential investigation, but in order to stop the flow of unreliable information, we decided to hold a briefing today. 

Journalists were then shown recordings without sound from the store's camera. It was commented on by the deputy head of the investigative department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Samat Aisov. 

Aisov showed how the teenager's father came out with what looked like a knife. According to him, the video is unedited. He assures that there was no conflict over a beer. 

The video shows the buyer taking two or three bottles of beer and putting them in a black bag. Then he paid via his phone and left. But after a short time, he returned, seemingly asking to charge his phone. He later returned and took the phone. 

 The deputy head of the department commented on the video:

He went out, and there was an conflict between Sherzat and the customer on the street - Sherzat hit the man. The father then went out with a bottle of water and gave it to the customer to wash. Then several more men approached the store. They were discussing on the street whether there was payment for the beer. Then a conflict began. The father of the deceased, Karzhaubay Nurymov, ran into the store and ran out holding an object similar to a knife in his hand. And here the late Sherzat Polat tried to stop him.

In the following question and answer session,  journalists initially asked how this video, the evidence, ended up on the Internet. 

Alenov replied that they were looking into it and had opened a criminal case. 

He also answered the question of why the police arrived after Sherzat's death. According to Alenov, the police were on the scene eight minutes after the call.

We are looking into why the store sold alcohol after 11 p.m. and why people who had previously been charged with a crime and on probation were out in the city so late at night instead of staying at home. 

There are 10 suspects in the homicide case. The criminal case has been opened under the articles "Homicide" and "Hooliganism" of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 

A criminal case has also been opened against the suspects who did not participate in the fight for failure to report.

Deputy Head of the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Samat Aisov also spoke about the young women, who were previously demanded to be made persons of interest by the relatives of the deceased.

There was no reason to involve the young women as suspects, Aisov answered.

When asked why, despite the request for a security detail, the family's house burned down, Almaty Region Prosecutor Berik Adamov replied that they received the request around seven in the evening.

 The house caught fire at about 1 a.m. After that, the police began patrolling the street.

But security is provided to a person, not an object. The patrol was at the place of residence of the deceased's grandfather - where the store is located,
 Adamov said. 

The prosecutor's office has also confirmed the arson. 

Experts have concluded that the source of the fire was outside the house. An external fire source may have been used. An examination of the canister and gloves found at the scene is underway,said a spokesman for the prosecutor's office

When asked why the possible existence of the Khutor organized crime group and its involvement in the killing of Sherzat was not being considered, Bauyrzhan Alenov answered:

We checked all the connections and contacts of the suspects, nothing pointed to an organized crime group. We will make a proposal to check the local police and their possible connections with the criminal group. But now the main thing is to solve the current crime.

According to their information, all the speakers stated that no such organized criminal group exists in the Talgar district. 

They also stated that the Ministry of Internal Affairs does not have a database on organized crime groups. 

There is no registry of organized crime groups in Kazakhstan,  Baurzhan Alenov emphasized. 

Initially, the press conference was announced to be held on October 16 in Qonayev at the Regional Communications Service at 12 o'clock.

However, on the morning of the 15th, the press service of the Almaty Region PD stated that it would take place on the same day, and journalists from Almaty would be taken by bus, which would be waiting at 10.30. 

Then they said there would be a time change, and at about 9:30, they said the bus would leave at 10:15. There were no more than 45 minutes left to get to the designated area. 

The address was Sayakhat (Aq Bulaq, Northern Ring Highway, 16).

Northern Ring is a market area. However, many journalists went to the former Sayakhat bus station on Suyunbay and Raimbek. Almost all Almaty residents would immediately assume the former bus station. The bus was waiting near the Sayakhat shopping center of the Aq Bulaq market. 

Because many people went the wrong way and had to wait, the bus from Almaty left only at 11:15 and arrived in Qonayev at about 12:30. The event started closer to one o'clock. 

The briefing room at the RSC was still packed.

 Original Author: Danil Utyupin