Fight for Kazakhstan’s Looted Billions Lands in New York Courts

Mukhtar Ablyazov’s two-decade journey from jailed Kazakhstan energy minister to accused money launderer at the heart of two New York federal lawsuits had plenty of stops along the way.

Like Russia, where he lived in exile before returning home and regaining control of BTA Bank, Kazakhstan’s third largest. And London, where courts sentenced him to 22 months in prison for contempt and froze more than $5 billion he’s accused of stealing from BTA, whose clients included Morgan Stanley and other US institutions.

Eventually, one of Ablyazov’s partners wound up in Manhattan, where he made a deal with two Donald Trump ...