"What's that got to do with me?" - said the Deputy Minister of Energy regarding the verdict for Daniyar Adilbekov.

“When it comes to the moral aspect of this situation, I certainly regret how it turned out. However, no, this is not bloodthirsty. The Ministry of Energy is not the body that classifies criminal cases. We are not a court, we are not a prosecuting authority. Therefore, I believe all questions regarding classification and sentencing should be directed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the prosecutor's office, and our court,” said Akkenzhenov.

Journalists asked if the official feared that his name would only be remembered due to this scandalous case.

“What does this have to do with me? I did not judge. There is a court ruling. Our court is independent. This is our judicial authority. I believe I will be remembered not just for this, but also for other matters, particularly for my efforts in developing our sector,” responded the vice minister.

The case against Daniyar Adilbekov was initiated in March 2024. Three individuals filed complaints against Adilbekov — journalist Gulzhan Yergalieva, Arab investor and director of the capital's airport Yusuf Rashed Aldjauder, and Vice Minister of Energy Erlan Akkenzhenov.

The basis for all the complainants was Adilbekov's publications on the Telegram channel “Wild Horde.” The author of the Telegram channel claimed that Gulzhan Yergalieva allegedly accepted money for interviews with the lawyers of Kuandyk Bishimbaev. Regarding Yusuf Rashed Aldjauder, the publication alleged that he was unlawfully issuing orders and instructions bypassing the current airport management.

One of the accusations against Adilbekov is the false report of a corruption crime against Vice Minister of Energy Erlan Akkenzhenov. The Telegram channel's publications mentioned Akkenzhenov's connections with Karim Masimov's former son-in-law Azamat Kapenov. Additionally, citing one of the oil traders, Adilbekov described a corruption scheme that allegedly operates during the distribution of oil in Kazakhstan. Erlan Saudegerov, an oil trader who was the source of information for Adilbekov, was detained in connection with this case. More details can be found here.

Prosecutor Daniyar Kairdar requested a five-year prison sentence in a medium-security facility for Adilbekov. He sought to have the channel's author found guilty on two counts of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (“False report of a corruption crime” and “Dissemination of knowingly false information”). For Erlan Saudegerov, the state prosecutor requested four years in prison under the charges of “Organizing a crime” and “Knowingly false report.” Ultimately, the court sentenced Daniyar Adilbekov to 4.5 years of imprisonment.

In his final statement, Adilbekov claimed that his case was a “demonstrative whipping” fabricated by “wolves in uniform.”