Main hearings for Akhmetov case set for August 10

    The main court hearings in the case against former prime minister Serik Akhmetov is set for August 10, 2015.
    The huge corruption case has ensured former top Karaganda officials, including former governor of the Karaganda Oblast Baurzhan Abdishev and former Karaganda city akim, Meyram Smagulov and 18 top officials.
    The Specialized Inter-District Criminal Court of the Karaganda Oblast started preliminary hearings on the case against Serik Akhmetov on July 27.
    On Tuesday, Baurzhan Abdishev withdrew his previous testimony against Akhmetov claiming it was given Тunder pressure.У
    The court received the case against Akhmetov, Abdishev, Smagulov, and other former officials on July 13.
    The accused have been charged with abuse-of-power, the embezzlement of a large amount of budget funds and involvement in illegal entrepreneurial activities. Akhmetov is also accused of taking large bribes. He was charged with corruption, the Karaganda Regional Court said.
    The investigators estimated the amount of damage from AkhmetovХs alleged crimes at 1.2 billion tenge ($6,408,031).
    Serik AkhmetovХs last senior position was Minister of Defense, starting on April 2014 to October 2014.
    From November 2009 to January 2012, he served as akim of the Karaganda Oblast.
    From January to September 2012, Akhmetov served as first deputy prime minister and from September 24 2012 to April 2014 - prime minister.
    Abdishev was arrested on September 23, 2014 on abuse-of-power charges.
    Meyram Smagulov was taken into custody in October 2014 on abuse-of-office charges, Akipress reports.