Kazakhstan: Vice Minister Arrested on Apparent Corruption Charge

Kazakhstan's Vice Minister of Environment, Alzhan Braliyev, has been arrested by the financial police.

"Braliyev is suspected of committing serious crimes. In the interests of the investigation I can not provide more information," Damezhan Esembekova, a press secretary at the Environment Ministry said February 27.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that in January 2008 Braliyev was investigated in relation to a $3.3 million scheme to allow students with inadequate test scores to go abroad to study. The case was abandoned due to a lack of evidence, but prosecutors said they reserved the right to reopen the case, if additional evidence came to light. The report would not specify, however, whether Braliyev's arrest was related to the earlier allegation.