Mazhilis deputy Yermurat Bapi believes that former KNB chairman Karim Masimov could not have organised the January events.
According to ORDA, the Mazhilis member claims that Masimov should come clean to society, the authorities, and the judicial bodies, and also set out the entire chain of the January events and name the main organiser.
This, according to Yermurat Bapi, could help the former KNB chairman gain his freedom.
"I personally do not think that Masimov was the organiser. Therefore, if he speaks out loudly, one could treat him leniently. If, for example, he was forced to carry out orders from the Chairman of the Security Council (before the January events, the Security Council was headed by Nursultan Nazarbayev). And I note that Karim Masimov was prime minister and a trusted person of Nazarbayev for many years. He carried out not only his personal assignments but also handled the first president's personal business", the statement reads.
At the same time, the deputy stated that Masimov moved assets of the ex-president of the Republic of Kazakhstan out of Europe after the "Kazakhgate" corruption scandal, and also handled the placement of assets belonging to representatives of "Old Kazakhstan" in Southeast Asia, China, Shanghai, Hong Kong and the UAE.
"If Masimov discloses all the transactions, and in return asks for freedom, then, I think, we should grant him that pardon. To some extent... Perhaps not fully, but it should be given. It is more important for us to learn information about the withdrawn assets than to keep him in prison. There is no benefit to the people from him being incarcerated", concluded Yermurat Bapi.
Recall that in April 2023, Karim Masimov was sentenced to 18 years in prison for high treason, attempted violent seizure of power, abuse of power, and exceeding official authority. It was also reported that in March of this year he submitted a request for a pardon to the President.