KazMunayGas official testifies in Gulnar Bazhkenova defamation trial
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A Bostandyk district court in Almaty heard testimony from plaintiff Almas Omarkhanov and a KazMunayGas corporate security official on Tuesday in the defamation trial of former Orda.kz editor Gulnar Bazhkenova. Omarkhanov is seeking 5 million tenge in moral damages, saying the article prevented his employment, while KazMunayGas’s Aslan Shukelov denied the outlet's report that top managers used private jets and premium cars. Omarkhanov refused to answer most questions orally and later required medical assistance after the judge ordered him to provide written responses.
The Plaintiff’s Claims
Almas Omarkhanov told the court he seeks 5 million tenge from Bazhkenova for moral damages, arguing the August 2025 Orda.kz article about a fraud investigation against him caused stress and blocked his job prospects. Omarkhanov, a former deputy chairman of the Problem Loans Fund, said the outlet never contacted him for comment before publication. During cross-examination by Bazhkenova’s lawyer Olga Kim, he repeatedly declined to answer whether he was indeed a suspect in the fraud case or when he filed his police complaint, saying he would provide written replies. After judge Yelena Kvan ordered him to prepare responses within an hour, Omarkhanov fell ill and an ambulance was called.
KazMunayGas’s Rebuttal
Aslan Shukelov, head of a department in KazMunayGas’s corporate security, testified about a separate September 2025 Orda.kz article that claimed top managers used private business jets costing around $100,000 per flight and premium chauffeured cars, questioning whether such spending comported with company rules. Shukelov stated the published information was false. The article had raised questions about the appropriateness of the expenditures and their compliance with internal policies.
What's Next
The trial is set to continue with further witness testimony in the coming days. It remains unclear whether Omarkhanov will submit the court-ordered written explanations, or whether his health episode will delay the proceedings.
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KazMunayGas official testifies in Gulnar Bazhkenova defamation trial
