Kazakh bank BTA says doesn't know where ex-CEO is

ALMATY, March 20 (Reuters) - Kazakhstan's largest bank BTA BTAS.KZ said on Friday it could not confirm media reports that its former chief executive Roman Solodchenko had criticised the government for nationalising BTA and fled Kazakhstan.

"I have not signed an order to sack him (Solodchenko)," BTA quoted its new Chief Executive Anvar Saidenov in a statement. "I don't know where he is."

The government took over BTA last month saying it would have collapsed otherwise. It sacked BTA chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov who criticised the takeover as "corporate raiding", and is now investigating him for theft and money laundering.

Ablyazov, once a senior official and an opposition politician, had left Kazakhstan before the BTA takeover. He has denied all charges against him.

Local media reported earlier this week Solodchenko, who is now a deputy chief executive at BTA, had left Kazakhstan as well, together with his family.

KazTAG news agency has quoted Solodchenko, who said he was disappointed with the way the government was running the bank and afraid of becoming a scapegoat.

"Obviously, if the negative trends persist, a search will start for someone to blame for the wasted money," it quoted him as saying.

Solodchenko could not be reached on his mobile phone. BTA said it could not confirm his statements.

Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General's office said in a statement on Friday Ablyazov had stolen "huge sums" from BTA between 2005 and 2008. It did not give the exact figures and BTA declined to comment on the prosecutors' statement.

The government has injected about $2 billion into BTA's capital but said earlier this week it might restructure some of its $12 billion foreign debt to secure stability of operations. (Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)