A street in Astana has been named after a former prime minister who was involved in a corruption scandal alongside Nazarbayev.

A street in the Esil district of the capital has been named after Nurlan Balgimbaev, a Kazakh politician and oil industry figure. He is recognized not only for holding prominent positions during Nursultan Nazarbayev's administration but is also linked to a corruption scandal that erupted in the United States, as reported by Orda.kz.

https://orda.kz/ulicu-v-astane-nazvali-v-chest-byvshego-premer-ministra-kotoryj-vmeste-s-nazarbaevym-figuriroval-v-korrupcionnom-skandale-394719/2024-11-22 07:31:12

A new street stretching over a thousand meters is located in the Esil district. It was created by merging two streets — Bezymyannaya and No. 29/1.

“Today marks a significant day in the socio-political life of our city. Following the directive of the Head of State, this street in the capital is named after the outstanding statesman and public figure Nurlan Balghimbaev. This street is situated in the city center, where many residents and visitors of the capital reside. Undoubtedly, much of what he accomplished has been inscribed in golden letters in the history of our independent country,” said the Deputy Akim of Astana, Eset Baiken.

Nurlan Balghimbaev passed away in 2015. Under the first President of Kazakhstan, he held positions such as Minister of Oil and Gas Industry, President of the National Oil and Gas Company "Kazakhoil," advisor to Nursultan Nazarbayev, and CEO of one of the subsidiaries of "KazMunayGas." He also served as a consultant for the oil company "Chevron" in San Ramon, California. He led the country's government from 1997 to 1999.

However, Balghimbaev's name is not only present in official records. He became one of the participants in the international scandal known as "Kazakhgate."

"Kazakhgate" is a high-profile legal case in the U.S. related to corruption schemes in Kazakhstan's oil and gas sector. The investigation, initiated in 2003, involved bribery of Kazakh officials, including Balghimbaev, to grant American companies access to the country's oil fields.

The key figure in the case, American banker James Giffen, was accused of paying bribes totaling approximately $84 million. Despite the evidence gathered, the case was closed in 2010, as Giffen's defense claimed that he acted in the interests of the United States and with the tacit consent of American authorities.

The scandal became one of the largest investigations under the "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act" in U.S. history and left a controversial mark on Balghimbaev's career.