While the management of the MIA "KazTAG" continues to publicly comment on the criminal case against the agency and level accusations at its opponents, questions have now arisen regarding the publication's editor-in-chief, Amir Kassenov himself.
WHAT THE EX-WIFE ALLEGES
As reported to "Kursiv" by his ex-wife, Roza Yessenkulova, she receives around 14,000 tenge per month for the maintenance of their 17-year-old son, despite a court ruling stipulating that alimony should amount to 25% of all of Kassenov's earnings.
According to Yessenkulova, the payment amount has remained extremely low for many years and has largely only changed in line with adjustments to the minimum wage. She claims these funds are insufficient even for basic expenses such as food, clothing, education, and preparing the teenager for university admission.
Furthermore, the ex-wife alleges that Kassenov takes no part in raising their son and does not help with additional costs related to the child's education and daily needs.
QUESTIONS OVER THE LEVEL OF INCOME
According to Yessenkulova, enforcement proceedings have revealed arrears in alimony payments stretching back several years. She also claims that the bailiff has encountered difficulties in obtaining information about Kassenov's actual income level.
Specifically, she says, requests sent to employers did not yield comprehensive information about the amount of his salary, which hinders verification of whether the alimony is being calculated correctly.
Yessenkulova herself considers it unlikely that the editor-in-chief of one of the country's well-known news agencies actually earns an income comparable to the minimum wage. At the same time, no official data on the size of Kassenov's earnings is publicly available.
CONTEXT
This story is notable because issues of transparency and reliability of information have been central to the public discussion surrounding MIA "KazTAG" over the past few months.
While the agency and its management actively demand openness from state bodies, businesses, and participants in legal proceedings, the ex-wife of the editor-in-chief is now raising questions about the transparency of the financial obligations of the publication's head himself.
It should be noted that, at present, the statements made by Roza Yessenkulova represent her position and require verification through procedures established by law. Nevertheless, the situation itself shows that public demands made of others are often accompanied by equally uncomfortable questions for those who voice those demands.