It is still too early to put a period to the case of the head of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan – Russian political commentator says

Almaty. October 5. Silkroadnews – There are solid political grounds behind the economic crimes Seitkazy Matayev  allegedly committed, political commentator Mikhail Rostovsky says.

«The point in case is not even about sending a «black spot» to the country's journalistic community. This is a political struggle in the upper echelons of power in Kazakhstan – a desire of some political players to secure a safe place in advance for the period of changing the head of the country», M. Rostovsky said in interview with «Moskovsky Komsomolets» newspaper.

According to him, the highest political players of Kazakhstan consider media «as a channel of political influence, as an opportunity to form an information agenda at the right time, to throw dirt on the opponent, to praise oneself».
He believes that «for a big group of state officials the conviction to Seitkazy Matayev turned into the personal survival issue».

«Matayev said the official suggested him to abandon KazTAG agency. Matayev refused, and the official decided to punish the offender. Then the stakes have risen even higher. President Nazarbayev with his respect to Matayev delivered an ultimatum to Matayev's persecutors saying: either you prove the accusations against him are not evidence-free or you will be punished to the full effect of the law. Thus, the conviction of Seitkazy Matayev turned into survival issue for a big group of state officials. I cannot guarantee this version of events is 100% true. I can say: this very version of what happened to Seitkazy Matayev is considered within the political community of Kazakhstan as the most probable», M. Rostovsky said.

«I have a feeling that it is still too early to put a period to the case of Seitkazy Matayev. I hope this period will be put by Nursultan Nazarbayev, the leader with highly-developed political instincts and large reserve of common sense.

In a country like Kazakhstan there shall be one «master» only – the country's legitimate president», he said.

To remind, in his «last word» S. Matayev said the names of those who ordered his criminal prosecution, including the speaker of Majilis of the Parliament Nurlan Nigmatulin. According to S. Matayev, N. Nigmatullin repeatedly demanded to give him the international news agency KazTAG in exchange for the closure of the criminal case.

On October 3 the court found S. Matayev guilty of fraud and tax evasion and charged him with six years' imprisonment with confiscation of property. «KazTAG» news agency General Director Asset Matayev has also been found guilty of fraud and charged with five years' imprisonment with confiscation of property.