NUR-SULTAN – Samat Aish was dismissed as the second-in command at the National Security committee. This is the second Nazarbayev family member to be pushed from office.

Timur Kulibayev was Nazarbayev’s billionaire son in law. He also resigned as Chairman of Central Asian Nation’s main business lobby organization.

Nazarbayev, aged 81, was once considered to have been the most powerful politician from the oil-rich state even when he retired in 2019. He has not made an appearance in public since protests began in April, which escalated into the bloodiest turmoil in Kazakhstan’s post-1970s post-Soviet past.

President Kassym Jomart Tokayev replaced Nazarbayev as the head of security during unrest. This ended their de facto dominance.

He appointed at that time a No. 2 at the National Security Committee, but didn’t immediately fire Abish.

Tokayev last week said that those who made fortunes under Nazarbayev’s three-decade rule should now be able to share their wealth with the general public. The sovereign fund of Kazakhstan on Saturday expelled two sons-in law from high-ranking positions in state oil- and gas pipeline companies.

Kulibayev who, along with his wife, own Kazakhstan’s most important bank, Halyk did not elaborate on why he had decided to leave Atameken. A prominent business lobby group, Kulibayev was not able to explain his decision.

In this month’s turmoil, more than 225 people died. Tokayev had to resort to the help of a Russia-led militarist bloc.

Karim Masimov and his two deputy were taken into custody by the authorities. The charges include treason. Authorities also stated that this was an attempt to coup d’etat.