The Specialised Inter-district Economic Court of Almaty has invalidated the sale of plots of land totalling more than 846 hectares in Yermensai and ordered them to be transferred to Ile-Alatau National Park.
According to Bes.media, the lawsuit was initiated by prosecutors from Bostandyk District, who uncovered irregularities in the transfer of the land to LLP "International Association of Clubs" (IAC) in 2004.
"The 846-hectare plot, according to the prosecutor's office, is land from the water fund and directly borders the category of land of specially protected natural areas of national importance", the statement reads.
It has been reported that in 2004, the akimat of what was then Karasay District transferred the plot into the ownership of IAC LLP for the purpose of running an auxiliary farm. In 2015, this land was divided into 18 cadastral numbers. The founders of IAC LLP are listed as the Association of Almaty Aport Producers, the Public Association "International Association of Clubs" and retired major general Pavel Novikov. The head of the LLP is Zhanna Baitenova.
Furthermore, Novikov is listed as a founder of the Public Association "Chess Union of Almaty", LLP "Football Club CSKA", LLP "Central Council of the Military-Hunting Society", LLP "Baganashil Shooting Range" and LLP "Business Partnership 1".
"Pavel Novikov is a general and a big name in Kazakhstani sport. From 1993 to 2015, Novikov was Vice-President of the National Olympic Committee and also an advisor to the Akim of Almaty. Also, from 1992 to 2007, he was President of the Tennis Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and now owns several tennis courts in Almaty. Zhanna Baitenova is also listed as a founder of LLP 'Baganashil Tennis Club'", the statement says.
It is worth recalling that in August 2022, current Mazhilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek reported on the results of an inspection regarding the Khamrayevs' apple orchards in Almaty, which were allegedly illegally alienated by former akims Viktor Khrapunov and Imangali Tasmagambetov.
In March of this year, the same Bakytzhan Bazarbek reported that a residential complex called "Mechta", which had been illegally built on the site of an apple orchard, was demolished in the foothills of the Kamenskoye Plateau in Almaty.