Quandyq Bishimbaev

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Kuandyk Bishimbayev
Қуандық Бишімбаев
Bakhytzhan Sagintayev
Preceded byErbolat Dosaev
Succeeded byTimur Suleimenov
Personal details
Born (1980-04-11) 11 April 1980 (age 44)
Nur Otan
Spouses
Nazym Qaharman
(div. 2020)
Saltanat Nükenova
(m. 2022; died 2023)
Children4
Alma materNarxoz University
Dulaty University
George Washington University

Quandyq Bishimbaev (be-SHIM-ba-yev; Kazakh: Қуандық Уәлиханұлы Бишімбаев, romanized: Quandyq Uälihanūly Bişımbaev; born 11 April 1980) is a Kazakh politician who served as Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan from 6 May 2016 to 28 December 2016. He's best known for being charged with the murder of his wife, Saltanat Nükenova and the related ongoing televised trial.

Early life and education

Bishimbayev was born in the city of

Kyzyl-Orda (now Kyzylorda) in 1980. In 1999, he graduated from the Narxoz University in Almaty then in 2001, from the Dulaty University. That same year, he earned masters in business administration from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. as part of the Bolashak scholarship.[1]

Career

From 2001, Bishimbaev worked as manager of the Borrowing and Structured Finance Department, general manager of the Treasury Department of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan JSC. From 2002 to 2003, he was the head of the Functional Analysis Division of the Budget Policy and Planning Department, deputy head of the Investment Planning and Analysis Directorate of the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning until becoming the managing director and a member of the board of the National Innovation Fund JSC. In 2004, Bishimbaev became the deputy chairman of the management board, member of the management board of JSC Center for Marketing and Analytical Research. From February 2005, he served as vice president of JSC Ordabasy Corporation and the chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC Interkomshina.[1]

In October 2005, Bishimbaev was appointed as the advisor to the Minister of Economy and Budget Planning, where he worked until he was appointed as advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan in February 2006. That same year, he was the president of the Center for the Development of Trade Policy JSC under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. From January 2007 to February 2008, Bishimbaev served as Vice Minister of Industry and Trade until becoming the head of the Department of Socio-Economic Monitoring of the Administration of the President of Kazakhstan in February 2008.[1]

On 22 May 2009, Bishimbaev was appointed as the assistant to the President of Kazakhstan, where he served the post until becoming the Vice Minister of Trade and Economic Development on 16 March 2010. From May 2011 to May 2013, he worked as deputy chairman of the Board of the Samruk-Kazyna Fund. On 30 May 2013, Bishimbaev was appointed as chairman of the board of the Baiterek National Managing Holding.[1][2]

On 6 May 2016, he was appointed as

protests against land reforms to replace Erbolat Dosaev, however he was eventually dismissed from his post on 28 December 2016.[3][4][5]

Corruption charges and imprisonment

On 10 January 2017, by the National Bureau for Combating Corruption, Bishimbaev was convicted of allegedly receiving bribes on an especially large scale, in a group of persons by prior conspiracy where he was placed under arrest on 12 January.[6][7]

On 14 March 2018, the Interdistrict Specialized Court for Criminal Cases of Astana found Bishimbaev guilty under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. As a result, he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in an institution of the maximum security penal system and was barred the right to hold leading positions in the civil service for life in any state organization, authorized capital of which the state share is more than 50%. Bishimbaev's property was confiscated that acquired with funds obtained by criminal means.[8][9]

Bishimbaev appealed to President Nursultan Nazarbayev for pardon which was granted in February 2019, and his prison term was reduced from 10 to 4 years.[10][11] Bishimbaev was eventually early released from prison on 11 October 2019.[11][12]

Murder charge

On 9 November 2023, Bishimbaev was detained on suspicion of murdering his wife, Saltanat Nükenova, in an Astana restaurant.[13][14] Baqytjan Baijanov, the director of the "Gastro-Center" restaurant complex, in which the murder occurred, was also arrested on suspicion of failure to report a crime and leaving of a person in danger.[15]

According to

CCTV footage under the pretext of technical failure.[16]

A jury trial began 27 March 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan.[17] The court hearings were particularly notable for being completely televised live online on the Supreme Court's official YouTube page. On some days, the total number of views even reaches several hundred thousand.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Бишимбаев Куандык Валиханович ▷ биография, фото, должность". kapital.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  2. ^ tengrinews.kz (2013-05-31). "Бишимбаев назначен главой нацхолдинга "Байтерек"". Главные новости Казахстана - Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  3. ^ Forbes.kz (2016-05-06). "36-летний Бишимбаев возглавил Министерство национальной экономики". www.forbes.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  4. ^ tengrinews.kz (2016-05-06). "Куандык Бишимбаев назначен министром национальной экономики РК". Главные новости Казахстана - Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  5. ^ Seisembayeva, Aigerim (2016-12-29). "Kazakh President Appoints New Foreign Minister, Minister of National Economy". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  6. ^ "Kazakh ex-economy minister detained in bribery case". Reuters. 2017-01-10. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  7. ^ Benevento, Chris (2017-01-13). "Former Kazakh Economic Minister Jailed on Corruption Charges". www.occrp.org. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  8. ^ "Kazakhstan's 'Golden Boy' Ex-Economy Minister Sentenced To 10 Years". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  9. ^ Putz, Catherine (2019-03-15). "Former Kazakh Economy Minister Sentenced to 10 Years on Corruption Charges". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  10. ^ "What's Behind Bishimbayev's Release". kz.expert. KazakhSTAN 2.0. 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  11. ^ a b "Помилован! Экс-чиновник Куандык Бишимбаев вышел на свободу". Первый канал "Евразия" (in Russian). 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  12. ^ "Осуждённый по делу о коррупции экс-министр Бишимбаев освободился условно-досрочно". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  13. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
    . 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  14. ^ "Дело Бишимбаева: полиция изъяла видео из ресторана" [Bishimbayev's Case: police seized the video from the restaurant]. TengriNews (in Russian). 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  15. ^ "Директор «Гастро-центра» задержан по подозрению в укрывательстве убийства жены Бишимбаева" [Gastro-Centre director detained on suspicion of covering up the murder of Bishimbayev's wife]. KazTAG (in Russian). 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  16. ^ Weiskopf, Anatoly (2023-11-14). "В Казахстане экс-министра обвиняют в убийстве. Что известно?" [In Kazakhstan, an ex-minister is accused of murder. What's known?]. Deutsche Welle (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  17. ^ "В Астане начался суд по делу бывшего министра Бишимбаева с участием присяжных". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
  18. ^ "Дело об убийстве жены. Как в Казахстане судят экс-министра" (in Russian). Deutsche Welle. 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-20.