In the North Kazakhstan region, prosecutors returned Lake Tek to state ownership, covering a total area of 21,500 hectares with a cadastral value of 26.7 billion tenge.
According to the press service of the regional prosecutor's office, in 2020, under a contract for the extraction of table salt, local executive bodies granted the lake to a subsoil user.
"Subsequently, a lease agreement was concluded for the land plot under the water body's surface", the statement said.
In 2022, the subsoil use contract ceased. However, the authorised body, in violation of the Land Code, took no action to terminate the agreement for more than two years, resulting in the misuse of water fund lands.
"Furthermore, contrary to the requirements of the Code 'On Subsoil and Subsoil Use', the economic entity was not removed from the register of active subsoil users on the competent authority's official website", the statement said.
As a result, the land plot lease agreement was terminated unilaterally and out of court. Lake Tek was returned to state ownership. The guilty officials were held disciplinarily responsible.