Maira denies wanted by Interpol, says on family vacation in Europe

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — The mother of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s future son-in-law has denied allegations that she is wanted by Interpol, saying that she is currently travelling in Europe on a “long-planned” family vacation.

The New York Post had reported that Maira Nazarbayev’s marriage to Bolat Nazarbayev, brother to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was annulled after Bolat found out his wife was allegedly wanted by Interpol for a variety of crimes including kidnapping and extortion.

The latest photo of Maira, allegedly taken at the Dubai International Airport, provided by a New York publicist.

The US newspaper also claimed that she and her son Daniyar Nazarbayev are being sued by her multi-millionaire husband, another claim which she has denied.

“I am looking forward to my long-planned family summer vacation in Europe. We are all unaware of who is actually behind these absurd claims and accusations which have caused our family unnecessary embarrassment.

“These scandalous allegations are completely untrue and have been made without any substantiation whatsoever,” Maira said today in a statement sent by a New York publicist.

The same publicist provided The Malaysian Insider the latest picture of Maira allegedly taken at the Dubai International Airport.

“Media has falsely reported Interpol rumours — clearly from this picture she is travelling freely in Europe. The Nazarbayev family is planning to spend time with family and loved ones,” the publicist said.

But Maira’s estranged husband has yet to come out to defend her or corroborate her claims.

Maira has maintained that her marriage is still intact, and that her son’s engagement to Prime Minister Najib’s daughter is still on despite the flurry of allegations which has surfaced from court documents filed by her estranged husband in a New York court.

Last Tuesday, several foreign newspapers including the New York Post reported that Daniyar was being sued together with his mother for cheating his stepfather Bolat. Daniyar also allegedly fudged his academic qualifications to get into Columbia University in the United States.

Daniyar was engaged to Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa in a glittering ceremony here in June last year.

“There’s never been a day when I’ve had a fight with my husband,” Maira told the New York Post in an interview published last Friday.

“I consider myself married and in a good relationship with my husband. And I’ve never seen a document related to divorce. I’ve never signed anything nor have I received anything,” she added.

The New York Post had cited court papers filed by Bolat in New York, accusing Daniyar of cheating the former out of a US$20 million (RM63 million) condominium home on Wall Street besides landing in the top-rated university using “fraudulent and fabricated” paperwork from a high school in Kazakhstan he did not attend.

Daniyar, who is said to have met Nooryana in Columbia, graduated from the Ivy League institution in 2010.

The daily also reported that Maira had changed Daniyar’s surname from Kesikbayev to Nazarbayev to match the Kazakh president’s after marrying Bolat in 2001.