The General Director of KazTAG, Aset Mataev, and the Editor-in-Chief, Amir Kasenov, have become subjects of a criminal case.
According to the editorial office, "Aset Mataev and Editor-in-Chief Amir Kasenov have become suspects as a result of a complaint from the company 'Freedom Finance', which is controlled by Timur Turlov, in connection with publications in which victims of fraudulent actions by the company's management expressed their opinions."
On December 9, Mataev and Kasenov are required to visit the police to give testimonies.
KazTAG representatives believe that "this criminal case is part of a campaign to form lists of unreliable opinion leaders, which, it is claimed, was compiled by employees of the presidential administration. This list includes not only Mataev and Kasenov but also dozens of other individuals, such as journalists Gulzhan Yergalieva, Jamila Maricheva, Samal Ibraeva, Tamara Vaal, and many others, including political scientist Dosym Satpaev and human rights activist Bakhtyjan Toreguzhin."
The editorial office learned about the initiation of the criminal case, dated August 18, only on November 20 through the media. They believe that the police deliberately concealed information about the process. During the investigation, examinations were conducted, of which KazTAG was not notified. The agency believes that the case was initiated to intimidate ahead of the presidential elections and suggests that employees of the Presidential Administration and representatives of "old Kazakhstan" are involved in this.
