Kazakhstan, Astana, March 28 / Trend D.Mukhtarov /
A number of terrorist attacks were prevented in Almaty on March 24, the Prosecutor General's Office of Kazakhstan said on Wednesday.
Leader of the planned terrorist attacks is Kazakh citizen Alexander Pavlov, born in 1975 and on the run from overseas-based Kazakh law enforcement agencies since 2009.
Since 2005 Pavlov had been chief bodyguard of former head of the BTA banker Mukhtar Ablyazov who is also sought by law enforcement agencies of Kazakhstan, and has carried out his confidential instructions.
One of leaders of the unregistered Alga party Muratbek Ketebaev, who is Mukhtar Ablyazov's closest confidant and a permanent resident abroad acted in collusion with Pavlov. They matured plans to organise acts of terrorism and extremism since September 2011.
It was found that in early March 2012, they instructed their accomplices to commit a series of explosions in public places on March 24, including park areas and office buildings in the city of Almaty.
In order to organise such attacks, Pavlov gave $25,000, of which the executor was given a deposit of $15,000. The remaining $10,000 was planned to be paid after the terrorist attacks.
During the subsequent investigative it was found that the main purpose of the attacks was to frighten the population, create an atmosphere of chaos and panic and destabilise the social and political situation in the country.
A criminal case has begun under part 1 of Article 233 (Terrorism) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan. An investigation is underway. Other investigative information was not disclosed.