According to the 14 March edition of The Kazakhstan Monitor, Joint Stock Company Khabar, the television service of the government of Kazakhstan, will be fully nationalized. 50.001% of the shares of Khabar (a slim majority) was owned by the government and 49.999% owned by a private investor.

This week, State Holding Company Samghau bought the remaining shares, ensuring full government control. Sources indicate that the State Budget for this year included transferring money to Samghau for the purpose of buying these shares. As The Kazakhstan Monitor indicated, the offer was made publicly on the open market but the 570 848 shares were sold as a lot and only category A investors were qualified to participate. Conditions of the sale also included a advance deposit of 2 billion tenge. Often such conditions are imposed to ensure that a designated buyer is the only one willing and able to purchase the shares.

It is widely believed that the private investor was Rakhat Aliyev who was recently sentenced to two 20 year sentences for conspiracy, plotting to overthrow the government, fraud and other crimes. Following these convictions it is understandable that the government would not want him to have control of the government news portal. It is unclear whether Aliyev agreed to the sale or whether the shares were sold without his consent.

The Minister of Culture and Information, Yerpmukhamet Yerisbayev, in the The Kazakhstan Monitor article claimed that nationalizing Khabar had been a long time goal since the TV channel’s founding in 1995.

Other media holdings of Mr. Aliyev were sold or transferred to his ex-wife Dariga Nazarbayeva, who is the daughter of the President of Kazakhstan. Nazarbayeva also managed Khabar and the couple’s media holdings until 2005 when she began a political career, founding the Asar Party and running for member of Parliament. At that point she gave up her position to avoid conflicts of interest.

The Khabar company comprises not only the Khabar television station, but also Khabar.kz, a satellite TV station Caspio Net and the Kazakhstan language El Arna station. It is the official portal for government news. Khabar means “news” in Kazakh.