Maltese Prime-Minister requests proof of Aliyev’s crimes (Tengrinews.kz 1/17/13)

Prime Minister of Malta Lawrence Gonzi

Prime Minister of Malta Lawrence Gonzi has called all witnesses of the crimes committed by Kazakhstan’s former ambassador to Austria Rakhat Aliyev to present proof of such to police investigators, Malta Today writes.

The green party spokesperson on EU and international affairs Arnold Cassola applied to the Prime-Minister asking Gonzi about the measures taken by the authorities on allegations against Aliyev who is accused of crimes against humanity and of using Malta as a base for money laundering.

In his reply, Gonzi invited everyone who has proof of illegal behavior of Aliyeva to present it to the police. Prime-Minister also reminded that Aliyev was married to a EU citizen and has the right for free movement at the territory of UE countries. He added that, having consulted the Attorney General, he made a decision that Malta had no jurisdiction to investigate the allegations of torture and crimes against humanity that Aliyev is accused of. “This position is currently being challenged in the court of magistrates,” Gonzi said.

Gonzi also said that the local police has to investigate into the allegations of money laundering by the former diplomat. Malta’s financial intelligence analysis unit, presided over by the Attorney General, has already received information of the money laundering from Austrian lawyers representing the widows of two murdered top managers of Nurbank (Aliyev was found guilty of their murders in Kazakhstan).

Former Kazakhstan Prime-Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin and two of his bodyguards are insisting that an investigation should be held by Maltese law-enforcement authorities on the allegations against Aliyev. In particular, Kazhegeldin’s bodyguards state that they were tortured in a bid to force a confession on Aliyev’s order, who served as the chairman of Kazakhstan National Security Commission back in 2000. In the beginning of last November Kazhegeldin applied to Maltese court with a complaint against nonfeasance of the local police that refused to investigate allegations against Rakhat Aliyev. The hearings on this case are still in process.