By Wallace Kaufman
Oct 18 (The GLOBE)
Asked to look into Swiss accounts held by former Premier Kazhegeldin, the investigating magistrate in Geneva, Daniel Devaud, froze an account he believes is lined to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, according to the October 16 New York Times by Steve LeVine and John Tagliabue. The Times story reports that the government of Kazakhstan had asked the Swiss to look examine accounts that might be held for the benefit of Kazhegeldin and that the investigator widened his inquiry into accounts linked to Kazakhstan.
According to the Times the amount of money in the Kazakhstani accounts at Credit Agricole Indosuez, a Swiss affiliate of a French bank, is between $80 million and $85 million.
The Times story cited only �people with knowledge of the inquiry,� as the source of its information about the Kazakhstani accounts. The paper�s sources said that at least two accounts were frozen and that Swiss lawyers representing the government of Kazakhstan have appealed to a Geneva court to free the accounts.
The investigation is one of many investigations currently under way as Western governments attempt to trace efforts to launder illegally obtained money, especially money coming from Russia and people close to the Yeltsin government. The subject has become particularly sensitive for western politicians who have supported large loans and foreign aid programs for CIS countries.
Although the action on Kazakhstani accounts is separate from a broad investigation of funds linked to Russian officials and Yeltsin�s family, they may have a common element and operational procedure. The Swiss firm Mabetex, which has major construction projects in both Russia and Kazakhstan. Many sources have reported that Mabetex provided credit cards for the use of Yeltsin and his family. The Times story said that the Swiss are investigating the possibility of the same kind of arrangement with Kazakhstani officials.
Some comments by a Western oil expert :
It looks like the campaign of allegations in money laundering against the President Yeltsin was launched as a punishment for his position in the crisis in Kosovo and in recent negotiations with China.
As to the President Nazarbayev, the recent election and negotiation with Iran and stubbornness in the issue of the Tengizshevroil shares sale could have been the factors.
ASTANA, Oct 18
(KazAAG)
On Sunday the chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) Zagipa Balieva held a press conference in Astana, where she announced results of the election to the Low Chamber of the Kazakhstan Parliament. The election was held on October 10.
In the republic there are 8411757 electors, including 526489 (i.e. 62.56%) electors participated in the election. More than 23 thousand of local and more than 200 foreign observers watch the election.
According to the chairman of CEC Zagipa Balieva, ten deputies� mandates were distributed in the following way:
� �Otan� party � 30.89% (4 sits of 10 in the Mazhilis);
� Communist Party � 17.75% (2 sits);
� Agricultural Party � 12.63% (2 sits);
� Civil Party � 11.23% (2 sits);
� People�s Congress of Kazakhstan � 2.83%
� Party of Kazakhstan�s Rebirth � 1.97%;
� �Azamat� � 4.57%;
� �Alash� � 2.76%;
� Republican Labour Party � 1.38%.
Twenty candidates nominated in one-mandate districts entered the Kazakhstan Parliament after the first round of the election. In 47 of 67 circuits the second election round is to be held, as none of the candidates collected more than 50% of votes. Of 20 candidates elected to the Parliament, 4 candidates are members of �Otan� party, four - of Civil Party, three candidates of trade union. The rest are self-nominated candidates.
Z. Balieva said: �The Central Election Commission is actively considering all criticised issues, including the access of Kazakhstan observers to all election districts, portable ballot-boxes procedure, family voting, calculation of votes, availability of voting protocols at the election districts. Members of the CEC go to different places to hold workshops for members of local election commissions to avoid infringements of the law on elections during the second round to be held on October 24.�
PEKING, Oct 18 (KazAAG)
The issues regarding further strengthening of mutual trade-economic ties, including oil co-operation and realisation of Kazakhstan-Chinese oil pipeline project will be in the centre of the next official visit of the Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbaev to China to be in the end of November, 1999. During negotiations problems regarding joint utilisation of bordering rivers resources and preservation of the environment will be discussed. According to the results of the visit, an agreement on co-operation between the two countries in the struggle against criminality, narcotic business and international terrorism may be signed. This was announced on October 15 at the press conference organised for representatives of foreign diplomatic corps, local and foreign press by the ambassador of Kazakhstan to China Sultanov.
In Mr. Sultanov�s opinion, the sixth meeting of the President N. Nazarbaev with the Chinese Chairman Jiang Zemin will give a new impulse to successfully developing mutual ties. In particular, according too the Chinese Customs, in January-February 1999 the consumable turnover between the two countries was US$ 628.23 million (79.3% more than in the same period in 1998). By the end of 1999 the turnover will possibly come to a billion level. The export of Kazakhstan oil to China is growing. If in 1998 China imported from Kazakhstan 100 thousand tons of crude oil by railway, in this year this index most probably will grow up to 500 thousand tons. Attracting journalists� attention to these figures, the diplomat emphasised they refuted opinions published from time to time in local and foreign press that the oil pipeline project Western Kazakhstan � western China was inappropriate.
At the press conference the ambassador told the audience about the latest important events in our country (forming of the new government headed by Kasymzhomart Tokaev, who is quite famous in China, and the continuing election campaign to the Mazhilis). The audience was also informed about the results of the Almaty Conference on Interaction and Trust Measures in Asia (CITMA), which was initiated by the Kazakhstan President.
ASTANA
Oct 18
(KazAAG)
The trend to the production growth was observed for last months in the mining industry, the Statistic Agency announced. As a result, for nine months the surplus of the production is 3.9% in comparison with the same period of the last year. Production of non-ferrous ores increased by 13.7%, of crude oil � by 11.1%, and natural gas � by 30.6%. A stable production growth in ferrous metallurgy (by 31% in comparison with nine months of the last year) is observed. In general, production by industrial enterprises of the country, (including small ones, as well as sector of individual farms) at current prices is at the level of the last year�s level. It was caused by decayed machine-building and oil-processing production. Though the processing of agricultural products reduced by 7.6%, the fall of their main types is being covered by innumerous enterprises and the individual farms sector.
All Over the Globe is published by IPA House.
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