By Jason Lewis and Will Stewart, Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:24 AM on 26th July 2009
The controversial president of Kazakhstan paid £3million above the market value for Prince Andrew’s Royal residence to persuade him to lobby on his behalf, according to a book by the leader’s former son-in-law.
The claim comes from Rakhat Aliyev, who was married to president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s eldest daughter and was once deputy foreign minister and security chief of the oil and mineral-rich former Soviet state.
Aliyev says his father-in-law was behind the £15million purchase of Sunninghill Park in Berkshire – dubbed Southyork – which was a gift from the Queen for her son and Sarah Ferguson on their marriage in 1986.
He says the deal was done in an attempt to secure the help and friendship of the Prince, whose regular visits to Kazakhstan have raised questions about his relationship with President Nazarbayev.
The identity of the buyer of the 12-bedroom mansion has been the source of huge speculation since its sale in 2007. No one has moved in and it has been left to fall into ruin.
But Aliyev’s book, The Godfather-In-Law, says Nazarbayev is the new owner. The book, banned in Kazakhstan, details allegations of corruption, criminality and electoral fraud against Nazarbayev, who, as leader of a largely Muslim state, has been courted by Western leaders as a key ally in the war against terror and for the rights to exploit his nation’s huge natural resources.
Last updated at 10:24 AM on 26th July 2009
The controversial president of Kazakhstan paid £3million above the market value for Prince Andrew’s Royal residence to persuade him to lobby on his behalf, according to a book by the leader’s former son-in-law.
The claim comes from Rakhat Aliyev, who was married to president Nursultan Nazarbayev’s eldest daughter and was once deputy foreign minister and security chief of the oil and mineral-rich former Soviet state.
Aliyev says his father-in-law was behind the £15million purchase of Sunninghill Park in Berkshire – dubbed Southyork – which was a gift from the Queen for her son and Sarah Ferguson on their marriage in 1986.
He says the deal was done in an attempt to secure the help and friendship of the Prince, whose regular visits to Kazakhstan have raised questions about his relationship with President Nazarbayev.
The identity of the buyer of the 12-bedroom mansion has been the source of huge speculation since its sale in 2007. No one has moved in and it has been left to fall into ruin.
But Aliyev’s book, The Godfather-In-Law, says Nazarbayev is the new owner. The book, banned in Kazakhstan, details allegations of corruption, criminality and electoral fraud against Nazarbayev, who, as leader of a largely Muslim state, has been courted by Western leaders as a key ally in the war against terror and for the rights to exploit his nation’s huge natural resources.
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