The Anti-Corruption Service reports that in the course of a pre-trial investigation, the former deputy minister of culture and sport has been detained, who is suspected of committing a serious corruption offence. The suspect has currently been placed in a detention centre in Almaty. The investigation is ongoing.
The media speculate that the suspect is former prime ministerial adviser Yerlan Kozhagapanov. From April to September 2021, he held the post of vice-minister of culture and sport. In various years, Kozhagapanov served as president of the Football Federation of Kazakhstan and deputy akim of Almaty.