Switzerland being filled with wealthy citizens of Kazakh origin

PanARMENIAN.Net - One of the most prominent citizens of Kazakhstan, who found refuge on the shores of Lake Geneva - Victor Khrapunov and his family. Until the recent past (before 2008) Khrapunov was mayor of the largest city of Kazakhstan - Almaty, for 7 years, after that he was appointed as a governor of a region of the country, sat in a chair the Minister of Emergency Situations. He left Kazakhstan in spring, 2008.

But it is worth noting that he chose Switzerland not only by chance - he was associated with it for many years. His wife, Leila, a successful business-woman in the distant 90's (when her husband, by the way, sat in the chairs of the Deputy Mayor of Almaty, the Minister of Energy and Electrification of Kazakhstan and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources) had established trade relations with Switzerland. She engaged in importing Swiss goods of the highest quality to Kazakhstan. The children of Victor Khrapunov, Ilyas and Elvira, studied at Geneva. Here, both of them started a successful career. Ilyas Khrapunov today heads the company «Swiss Development Group», which, allegedly, was founded in 2007. The company is engaged in major construction.

Today, in Switzerland Khrapunov is known as very rich people. According to the Swiss magazine «Bilan», Viktor Khrapunov in 2009 was part of a list of three hundred richest people of Switzerland.

But according to the criminal case materials, very meticulously described in the Kazakh media, the main capital was accumulated by Khrapunov while he was a mayor of Almaty city. At home he is accused of receiving large bribes, money laundering, fraud, organizing crime and abuse of power. Well, in general, the entire list, which is traditionally presented to almost all former officials.

The main fault of Khrapunov, which is known for everyone in Kazakhstan- sale of land in unique foothills of the Zailiyskiy Alatau (near Almaty). This area is called the second Switzerland: magnificent mountains, perennial Tien Shan spruce, excellent slopes for downhill skiing. Near Almaty, incidentally, there is the highest ice skating rink in the world - Medeo, a unique ski resort Shymbulak. Victor Khrapunov easily sold the land situated around the coast of almost all small rivers in and around the city deriving them from the register under the "economic needs". And the majority of these lands fall under the prohibited category, as they were in the water protection area.

Even after the departure to Switzerland and the appearance of a criminal case in the homeland, Khrapunov began actively claiming that he was "the initiator of important reforms, he has devoted his career to the development of Kazakhstan" (from the materials of his site.) And all the illegal construction in protected areas - order from above. "

However, in one interview Khrapunov blurted out that he signed up all the documents so that no one quarreled. At the same time he purchased a house for himself: "The Director of ski resort told me that I could make out the purchase of the house ... I signed a contract, the house was completely constructed, and on building construction there were issued all the documents in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan. So I became the legal owner of the house in the area of the ski resort Shymbulak, which was later sold. "(Over 5 million - auth.) By the way, this house was built in the same restricted area, building permit was signed personally by Khrapunov).

Or another example. A nephew of Khrapunov had bought a recreation area from Khrapunov for a symbolic price, it is located on four acres of land, which was derived from the national park "Medeo".

In addition to the fraudulent sale of land in the area of sanitation, Khrapunov "owned" also the restructuring Almaty: land for mass housing and office building were given by him without taking into account the climatic and geological features of Almaty, which is located in the seismic zone. As a result, the city has the broken ecology, air pollution has reached a critical point. But this is a lyrical digression.

For Khrapunov there were initiated more than 20 criminal cases. The one concerns the construction of a new airport in Almaty, during which it was abducted about 10 million U.S. dollars. By the way, the credit history of Almaty airport is so messy that nobody can name the total amount of such loans under the guarantees of akimat and other government agencies.

Two other cases - in fact donation of 54 plots of land by Almaty akimat for outdoor advertising. Moreover, these areas are still owned by the two companies, the founders of which were Leila Beketova and the son of Victor Khrapunov, Ilyas Khrapunov.

Now Victor Khrapunov, honestly looking at journalists from the page of his site, says that he is an honest poor former official. So, his wife is rich, and he - poor. That’s all about her - successful entrepreneur in the media, real estate and luxury goods with a Swiss bank account.

Khrapunov said that he has never had a Swiss bank account, and state of the family was mostly accumulated by his wife - a successful entrepreneur (according to the publication, Leila Khrapunova was the founder of the first private television station in Kazakhstan, and later managed enterprises in real estate, media and luxury goods). Son of Khrapunov - Ilyas, according to former mayor of Alma-Ata, has been successfully operating in real estate. By the way, he is married to the daughter of another well-known Kazakhstani fraudster - Mukhtar Ablyazov. Among Swiss millionaires there is the daughter of Khrapunov - Elvira Khrapunova-Beldimani. It is known that for a year before her father’s escape from the country, in 2007, she bought a villa, valued at 32 million francs in Colon - the upscale suburb of Geneva, on the left shore of Lake Geneva. In the 2009 year’s ranking the state of Khrapunov was estimated at about 400 million francs (288,5-384 million).

Now the family performs the role of the persecuted democrats. For as Khrapunov calls himself on his website, he - "motor of important reforms" of Kazakhstan, and continues to "serve the interests of his country, promoting dialogue and democracy."

Well, the entire democracy of Khrapunov is reduced to only one thing – the search for someone who can be blamed in his mistakes. So far – there is no success. Since last year, he and his wife have been wanted by Interpol. Which, by the way, is well aware of the location of this family, but is not in a hurry to arrest them. Whether they are hiding themselves with legal ignorance of Khrapunov’s address, or –they are paid for such a behavior. Who knows ...