/IRBIS, Dec.6, 00/ - The Great Silk Road World News Agency informs that former chairman of the SHNOS Board of Directors Nurlan Bizakov, who was reinstated in his position by the November's Astana court decision and took his office on 29th November, held a press conference in Almaty. Mr. Bizakov said that he was again forced out from the refinery's administrative building by the "Bars" armed subunit. Bizakov blamed former SHNOS president Marlo Thomas, reps of Kazkommertsbank, and the Interior Ministry militiamen for arbitrariness and lawlessness. Mr. Bizakov again appealed to the government to cancel the contract with Hurricane Hydrocarbons Ltd., which he believes to be a pseudo-investor in SHNOS. In compliance with its obligations, the company is to invest $150m in SHNOS production and infrastructure by the end of 2001. However, claims Bizakov, Hurricane has not invested a single dollar in SHNOS at the time being. From 1996 to 1999, all the investment projects were financed using proceeds from the net profit of SHNOS itself (around $70m).

Bizakov says that the current debt of Hurricane to SHNOS is $100m. "These funds were registered as temporary financial aid to the shareholder and pre- payment for crude, but were used to repay the old investor debts," adds Mr. Bizakov.