EurasiaNet reports that Rakhat Aliev, the former son-in-law of President Nazarbaev, ex-media mogul and higher official, now sentenced to 40 years in jail for mafia-type activities and coup attempt, says he’s ready to give evidence in a U.S. investigation into whether Nazarbaev and other Kazakh officials took bribes from U.S. businesses to receive lucrative oil contracts more than a decade ago. The so-called Kazakhgate trial prosecutes James Giffen, a U.S. businessman, who does not refute the fact of bribery, but alleges that his actions were sanctioned by the U.S. special services. Kazakh officials are unidicted, just like the U.S. oil companies.

Aliev’s threat is embodied in some documents that he has, which he says may serve as evidence in court. Those include an Interpol warrant, issued by Liechtenstein, against Nazarbaev, his former prime minister, the former head of the state oil company, a former presidential adviser, and another of Nazarbaev’s daughters, Dinara. Also posted was a photocopy of a check for $1 million made out to the “bearer” that is supposed to be from one of the payoffs to Kazakh officials.

Adam on the Russian version of neweurasia-kazakhstan says:

Testimonies of a Big Family member and former official from the special services may become the brightest part of the already scandalous Kazakhgate trial, if anybody would want to involve him. As a matter of fact, the American Themis is interested just in sentencing Jim Giffen and prove that he was not an “undercover agent, commissioned to bribe Kazakhs”. Washington can hardly have any desire to spoil relations with the strategic geopolitical ally and energy partner. So, more likely, it can be not the DoJ who may be keen to recruit Aliev, but the Giffen defense team — simply in order to distract attention from their client and once again try to make the prosecutors drop the case.