Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/265009
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2014 2014 15 News MATTHEW VELLA THE European Commission is lim- iting itself from intervening in crimi- nal investigations across Europe into Rakhat Aliyev, the Kazakh exile who is being hunted down by the his former father-in-law Nursultan Nazarbayev, the dictator of Kaza- khstan. Aliyev, formerly an ambassador and once deputy head of the Kazakh secret service, is known to be living in Malta although he recently ap- plied to become a naturalised Cyp- riot citizen. The Commissioner for justice, freedom and security Cecilia Malm- ström this week told the European Parliament that the EC was aware, through media reports, of the inves- tigations conducted against Rakhat Aliyev, notably related to money laundering. "While the facts investigated may have cross-border elements or even a European dimension, the EU has no competence to conduct criminal law investigations," she said in a reply to a question from Portuguese socialist MEP Ana Gomes. Gomes asked the Commissioner whether the investigations into mon- ey laundering, corruption and white- collar crime against Aliyev could be accelerated if EU bodies such as Eu- rojust and Europol are consulted. "Member states' legislation still differs significantly when it comes to the definition of money laundering and to the level of criminal sanctions for this offence. The Commission is currently considering proposing changes to the existing legal frame- work on Anti-Money laundering," Malmström said. "While the Commission follows developments in member states in general terms and looks into how cooperation is functioning in cross- border cases in practice, the Com- mission is not monitoring individual investigations." Aliyev has been questioned in Malta by Austrian prosecutors investigat- ing his alleged role in the murder of two bankers in Astana, Kazakhstan. He has already been sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment by a Kazakh court but Austria has refused to ex- tradite him to a country where his rights would not be respected. Aliyev also faces a money launder- ing inquiry by German investigators, while human rights campaigners have been incessantly calling on the Maltese police to investigate him. The two former bodyguards of Akezhan Kazageldin, the former Ka- zakh prime minister, claim they were tortured personally by Aliyev in a bid to extract a false confession that they were plotting a coup against dictator Nazarbayev, back in 2001. Despite repeated requests, the Maltese po- lice have so far refused to investigate complaints by Satzhev Ibraev and Pyotr Afanasenko and the Maltese courts have also concurred with the Attorney General that the police has no competence in the matter. Aliyev, 52, left Austria in 2010 to set up base in Malta. In April 2013, he had his Austrian aliens' passport repealed, following an inquiry by an Austrian ombudsman that found maladministration in the issuance of his passport by the ministry of the interior. He applied for his Cypriot passport in August 2013. He presently avails himself of the right to move freely across the EU through his marriage to a naturalised Austrian citizen, Elnara Shorazova. He lives in Malta under the assumed surname of Shoraz. Brussels refusing to enter into Aliyev controversy COURT NOTICE The Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals notifies that the First Hall of the Civil Court ordered the sale by judicial auction of the following property to be held in the corridors of the Courts of Justice, Republic Street, Valletta. Date, Judicial Sale No. and Time Property 4 th March 2014 99/13 – 11.30am JGL Appartment numbered one (1) situated in the second floor in the block of apartments named 'Fara Flats' number fifty seven (57) in Triq Francesco Ximenes, Salini limits of Naxxar, together with half undivided share of overlying apartment airspace, free and unencumbered valued at one hundred and seventy five thousand euro (!175,000). 11 th March, 2014 42/13 – 10.30am EGL The tenements numbered fifty six (56), fifty seven (57) and fifty eight (58) in Triq San Gwann, Bormla, free and unencumbered, with its rights and appurtenances, valued at eighty three thousand euro (!83,000) and A garage numbered seven (7) in Triq it-Tobra, �al-Lija, who has access in Triq il-Larin�, H'Attard valued at fifteen thousand and five hundred euro (!15,500). 25 th March, 2014 72/13 – 10.30am EM The shop number six (6) in Zabbar Road, Paola, and underlying third parties property and is subject to an annual ground rent of eighty two cents for the remaining period of temporary annual ground rent approximately thirty-five (35) years with all its rights and appurtenances, valued at forty one thousand euro (! 41,000). 27 th March, 2014 12/13 – 10.30am EM Half undivided share (") of the property number twenty five (25), Moll il-Braken (Lighters' Wharf), Marsa which consists of a hall on the first floor overlying the property belonging to third parties closing from a door which leads to the said Moll il-Braken, with the overlying airspace and the yard, with all its rights and appurtenances and subject to a rent in favor of third parties, valued at one hundred and ten thousand euro (!110,000) 27 th March, 2014 69/13 – 11.00am PP Garage with no officially number and name underlying the tenement officially numbered thirteen (13) named 'Edelweiss', in Triq �dida in Sqaq il-Bursett, Zabbar, the airspace belongs to third parties valued at one hundred and twenty thousand, six hundred and fifty euro (!120,650). 27 th March, 2014 25/13 – 11.30am PP The Shop 'Mure Accessories', numbered 58, Xatt tas-Sliema, Sliema, free and unencumbered valued at two hundred and sixty thousand euro (!260,000). Further details can be obtained from the website: http://www.justiceservices.gov.mt/courtservices/JudicialSales/search.aspx The bidders taking part in the auction must present their identity card. Rudolph Marmara For the Registrar of Civil Courts and Tribunals European Commission says it has 'no competence' on criminal investigation, after calls from MEP to get EU bodies to coordinate various money laundering probes Rakhat Aliyev