In Astana, a new court session is underway regarding the case of former minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev. Today, on April 23, 2024, the court continued examining the defendant's phone.
During the phone investigation, the court reviewed the gallery of the ex-minister's phone, including screenshots of conversations with Saltanat Nukenova, as well as messages on WhatsApp with other individuals involved in the case.
It was revealed that on November 9, 2023, the day of Nukenova's death, Bishimbayev made several calls to different people between 18:55 and 19:03. The defendant claims that he dialed them accidentally that day.
Additionally, it was confirmed that on that day, Bishimbayev called a clairvoyant from Shymkent five times between 15:01 and 20:01. The judge read out the exchange:
- At 15:01, Bishimbayev writes: "Is she okay? Is she just sleeping and sleeping."
- Gulnar responds at 15:48: "Everything is fine. She will sleep until morning."
- At 19:09, Gulnar writes: "I'm working."
- Bishimbayev writes at 19:09: "Shall I call?"
- At 19:09, Gulnar replies: "Okay."
- Then at 19:24, he writes: "Is she in herself?"
- She responds: "In herself."
The defendant, the former minister, provided his explanation.
"I called, couldn't find a pulse, wanted to know what was happening. She (clairvoyant Gulnar) didn't pick up, then she did, said to call an ambulance. I told her: 'You say she should wake up in the evening, I can't find a pulse,'" explained Kuandyk Bishimbayev his actions.
The judge expressed confusion about the logic of his actions.
"You're writing to someone who is thousands of kilometers away, asking if she is in herself. You haven't seen her condition yourself? And here she (clairvoyant Gulnar) writes: 'Yes, in herself.' Do you believe that?" asked Judge Aizhan Kulbayeva of Kuandyk Bishimbayev.
It was also revealed that on the day of Saltanat Nukenova's death, the ex-minister was exchanging messages with other women, including Gulnara Nasyrbekova and a contact listed as "Yulia Super." The first one sent Bishimbayev a photo and wrote: "By the way, you smell like roses." The second exchange started at 19:07 and ended at 19:36. The judge read out the conversation:
- On November 9, at 19:07, Bishimbayev writes: "How are you?"
- At 19:10, "Yulia Super" replies: "Hello, everything is fine, how about you?"
- At 19:24, Bishimbayev writes: "What were you doing? Are you free?"
- At 19:36, "Yulia Super" replies: "I was doing my eyelashes. What time?"
The lawyer representing the victim's side, Aliya Omarova, pointed out to the court that "from 15:01, Bishimbayev was concerned about Nukenova's condition and at the same time was messaging 'Gulfiya PR' regarding business matters."
Representatives of the media were allowed back into the courtroom on April 22, 2024, in the case of Kuandyk Bishimbayev. This was announced by Judge Aizhan Kulbayeva. On the same day, Kuandyk Bishimbayev provided the court with the password to his phone, and an investigation of the device was initiated - 12 short videos of events from November 8 to 9, 2023, at the Bau restaurant were presented to the parties.
Representatives of the media were removed from the courtroom in the case of Kuandyk Bishimbayev on April 10. This decision, according to Judge Aizhan Kulbayeva, was made due to disrespect towards the court. It turned out that during the previous trial, the media captured the faces of the jurors on video, which was initially prohibited. The footage was subsequently shared on social media.
