According to media reports, Kasenov was detained in Astana, as journalists have reported.
The General Director of KazTAG, Aset Mataev, noted in his Telegram that lawyers reported Kasenov's detention after he was summoned for investigative activities at the Esil District Police Department.
Kasenov also stated that he was summoned to the police at 7:00 PM, while his lawyer Erlan Makenov was in another city on investigative actions.
“I stated that I cannot participate in investigative actions without a lawyer, but my arguments were not taken into account. I did not receive a summons to appear at the Esil District Police Department,” said the editor-in-chief of KazTAG.
Lawyer Rena Kerimova expressed the opinion that Kasenov's detention is an excessive measure under part 3 of article 274 of the Criminal Code, concerning the dissemination of knowingly false information.
“The situation creates the impression that this is a reaction from law enforcement agencies to complaints about psychological pressure and illegal investigation methods. I hope that the court in this case will provide an appropriate legal assessment and deny the request for arrest,” noted the lawyer.
Earlier, Aset Mataev and Amir Kasenov became suspects based on a complaint from Freedom Finance regarding publications about alleged fraudulent schemes related to the company's management. According to KazTAG representatives, the editorial learned about the initiation of a criminal case from the media on November 20, although the case itself was initiated in the summer. The agency claims that the police conducted investigations and examinations for several months without notifying the editorial office.
Lawyer Erlan Makenov also stated that the investigative authorities violated the norms of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as the agency's management was not timely informed about the decision to appoint examinations, and the protocol of familiarization was drawn up only on November 21.
KazTAG has previously published information about fraudulent schemes related to the management of Freedom Finance, citing victims. One of the sources of this information was lawyer Svetlana Oralbaeva, who spoke about the losses of investors and the withdrawal of funds to offshore accounts.
