Kazakhstan Aliyev put on international wanted list

ASTANA, May 28 (Reuters) Kazakhstan's police issued an international arrest warrant for President Nursultan Nazarbayev's son-in-law today.

Rakhat Aliyev, a powerful businessman who has fallen out with his father-in-law, says the case is a politically motivated attempt to silence him. His whereabouts have been unclear after he was sacked from the post of ambassador to Vienna on Saturday.

Today, Interior Ministry spokesman Bagdat Kozhakhmetov said Aliyev was accused of running a mafia network in the Central Asian state, in addition to kidnapping charges he already faces.

''The head of this criminal group ... is currently Rakhat Aliyev,'' he told reporters.

''He has been put on the international wanted list,'' Kozhakhmetov said without elaborating.

Aliyev accused Nazarbayev last week of rolling back democracy and said his problems started after he shared with Nazarbayev his intention to run for the presidency.

Last week Nazarbayev, in power since 1989, signed constitutional amendments allowing him to stay in office for life, a move analysts said was aimed at consolidating power at a time of increased jostling among the elite.

Shortly after signing the amendments Nazarbayev ordered the police to investigate Aliyev on suspicion of kidnapping two senior bankers.

Despite his recent criticism of Nazarbayev, Aliyev has little standing as an opposition politician inside Kazakhstan.

The opposition movement accuses him of exploiting his ties to the ruling family, an allegation he has denied.

A Kazakh embassy spokesman in Vienna could not say where Aliyev was. Aliyev, his allies and Austrian police could not be reached for comment.

Kozhakhmetov said a group of Kazakh investigators, including a deputy general prosecutor, had left for Vienna to look into the case.

REUTERS NY DS1547