Short version of the news
Former Minister of Economy of Kazakhstan Kuandyk Bishimbayev was found guilty of the brutal murder of his wife Saltanat Nukenova. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
The court hearing in Bishimbayev’s case took place on May 13 and was broadcast online, reports 24 Channel. Bakitzhan Baizhanov, Bishimbayev's cousin, accused of concealing the crime, received four years in prison.
Bishimbaev's trial
During the trial, Saltanat Nukenova’s father Amangeldy Nukenov said that Bishimbayev deserves a life sentence for the murder of his daughter. In his last word, Bishimbayev stated that he was guilty, but not of premeditated murder.
Not a single moment that evening did I wish for my death wife. I didn't expect this outcome. “I’m guilty, but not of premeditated murder,” he said.
The ex-minister also added that he did not try to avoid responsibility, and the investigation succumbed to pressure from social networks and the media.
Interestingly, in 2018 the court already sentenced Bishimbayeva to 10 years in a colony strict regime. Then, according to investigators, Bishimbayev, being the head of the national holding Baiterek, organized a scheme to steal government funds and received bribes from construction companies.
However, in February 2019, the then President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev pardoned Bishimbayev, and his sentence was reduced from 10 to four years.
The murder of Saltanat Nukenova: briefly
- In November 2023, the body of Santanat Nukenova was discovered in the VIP booth of one of the elite restaurants. Her husband Kuandyk Bishimbayev was also in it. It subsequently turned out that he beat the girl for several hours, and after that he thought that Saltanat was sleeping. An examination showed that the cause of Saltanat’s death was a closed craniocerebral injury.
- The ex-minister’s case was investigated under two articles of the Criminal Code: “Murder committed with extreme cruelty” and “ Torture.” Bishimbayev's brother, Bakhitzhan Baizhanov, was accused of concealing a crime and failing to report a reliably known serious crime.
- The main trial in this case began on March 27 with the participation of a jury. Subsequently, footage from CCTV cameras in the restaurant was shown in court, where Bishimbayev can be seen beating his wife. watched by hundreds of thousands of people in different countries.
