Kazakhstan’s anti-corruption company mentioned Wednesday it had seized jewels value greater than $230 million, in a case involving the nephew of ex-leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.

“Because of operational-search actions, unique gems and valuable stones value 230 million US {dollars}” had been seized, the company mentioned in a press release.

The company gave no particulars on what sort of stones had been seized.

It confirmed to AFP the jewels had been discovered as a part of a brand new investigation in opposition to businessman Kairat Satybaldy, a nephew of Nazarbayev.

Nazarbayev, now 82, dominated the Central Asian nation from 1991 till 2019.

Satybaldy was arrested in March and charged with embezzlement from nationwide telecommunications operator Kazakhtelecom and “different crimes undermining state safety.”

He was handed a six-year jail time period in September.

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Satybaldy is the primary member of the Nazarbayev household to be arrested.

The anti-corruption company additionally mentioned Wednesday that $300 million that he had invested overseas might be “quickly be given to the price range of Kazakhstan.”

In January 2021, greater than 230 folks had been killed in riots within the Central Asian nation, their trigger are nonetheless mysterious.

Present President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had estimated that they had been the results of a plot from overseas, saying “terrorists” wished to take energy, with out ever offering proof to this declare.

Tokayev, who’s working for re-election on November 20, has since undertaken to strengthen his place and weaken that of his authoritarian predecessor.

The capital Astana, which was renamed in honour of Nazarbayev in 2019, regained its unique identify in September.