Not only citizens of Russia and Ukraine have chosen the United Kingdom as a safe haven for themselves and their often illicit wealth. A significant portion of assets with no legal origin has been brought in from Kazakhstan by representatives of its corrupt government and business elites. The long rule of Nursultan Nazarbayev, which bore all the hallmarks of an oligarchic dictatorship, facilitated the plundering of this Central Asian nation. In addition to Nazarbayev and his relatives, his entire governmental apparatus and numerous intermediaries transferred money abroad.
Investigations into Kazakh oligarchs in Britain have been ongoing for some time, with specialized groups dedicated to this issue. It is possible that this year, key figures will be targeted, and they may come under one of the anti-corruption laws.
Who could face sanctions?
The assets of Karim Massimov’s personal financier Aigul Nuriyeva in the United Kingdom may come under scrutiny by law enforcement agencies. The assets of other representatives of the Kazakh elite are also at risk.
At the end of last year, in his account on X, the new British Foreign Secretary, Labour Party member David Lammy, effectively announced the launch of a national campaign against “dirty money” in the United Kingdom. This primarily concerns the assets of representatives from high-risk countries—kleptocratic autocracies and nations with opaque financial systems as listed in various international classifications (including the FATF). These include states in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the post-Soviet space.
The fight against foreigners’ “dirty money” was not only a central theme in Lammy’s election campaign but also a key platform for the Labour Party, which achieved a resounding victory in the UK parliamentary elections in July last year.
The effort to verify the legality of assets acquired in the UK by foreigners from “high-risk” countries will be coordinated by influential British politician and fellow Labour Party member Margaret Hodge. In Kazakhstan, she became known after publishing the so-called “Hodge List”—a compilation of Kazakh billionaires close to Nursultan Nazarbayev and his family, whom she accuses of involvement in the January 2022 events and money laundering in the UK.
Aigul Nuriyeva-Ishan: Her lavish investments in real estate and secret role in Kazakh unrest
Among those listed is the former head of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee, Karim Massimov, who was convicted in Kazakhstan for attempting a coup, and his personal financier, Aigul Nuriyeva. She is the only individual in the Hodge List against whom specific allegations have been made—allegedly facilitating a bribe to Massimov from the Swedish telecommunications company Telia. The case was ultimately hushed up, but the Labour Party seems to hold a different view on the matter.
Over several years of working in entities affiliated with Massimov, Nuriyeva amassed a substantial fortune, enabling her to acquire luxury real estate worldwide—from Hong Kong to France and the United Kingdom. In London, Aigul Nuriyeva, who uses the surname of her former husband, Ishan, spent nearly £12 million on two apartments in the ultra-exclusive Regent’s Park area (now valued at double that amount). The total area of her properties is almost 7500 square ft. Both apartments span multiple floors and offer a view of Regent’s Park. However, in the spring of last year, Nuriyeva decided to launch an extensive renovation project to combine the two apartments into one.
The redevelopment required approval from architectural authorities, which helped identify the owner of these expensive properties.
Who lives near Aigul Nuriyeva-Ishan?
Close to Nuriyeva-Ishan, apartments have been purchased by the founders of Kazakhstan’s largest offshore network, Meridian Capital. Two apartments belong to Yevgeny Feld and his wife Gulnara Zhokebayeva, another two to Askar Alshinbayev and his wife Saida, and three more are owned by their son Adil.
Nazarbayev’s relatives invested tens, perhaps hundreds, of millions in UK real estate
Although they are not on Margaret Hodge’s list, Nazarbayev’s relatives—billionaire Timur Kulibayev and his wife Dinara, Dariga Nazarbayeva, her son Nurali, and her sister Aliya—are included. Nazarbayev’s nephew, Kairat Satybaldy, who was convicted at home for embezzling billions, and his namesake, Dariga Nazarbayeva’s former son-in-law Kairat Boranbayev, are also listed.
Additionally, Labour has targeted Vladimir Kim, whose daughters own properties in the UK worth hundreds of millions of pounds, ERG shareholders Alexander Mashkevich and Patokh Chodiev, and another overseas property enthusiast, Alexander Klebanov, along with his son Yakov. The list includes over a dozen prominent Kazakh names. It is likely that some of them will come under scrutiny by financial control authorities and journalists this year.
Original article: Leeds TV
