Mass murder suspects accused of extortion, businessman's murder

    The culprits of last August's mass murder in Ile-Alatau National Park also are suspected of extorting money and killing an Almaty entrepreneur, Karavan reported July 19. Authorities found 12 bodies in the park almost one year ago.
    Aitmukhamed Aldabergenov, an Almaty businessman who disappeared June 6, 2012, repeatedly phoned his accountants, asking them to give almost US $600,000 (92m KZT) to someone who would come for the money. After the accountants gave the man the money, the phone calls stopped and Aldabergenov's burnt body was found June 8, 2012, on the Talgar highway.
    The suspects may have extorted money from others and killed them too, Karavan reported, not citing specifics.
    Kyrgyzstan recently extradited one suspect, Sayan Khairov, to Kazakhstan. Another suspect, Zaurbek Botabayev, remains at large. The killers were extremists, Kazakhstani authorities have said, according to Central Asia Online.