(12 January 2026 | source: Nege.kz)
The court proceedings surrounding the development in Burabay showed that the land, registered as private property and used for tourist facilities, originally belonged to a specially protected natural area. This concerns plots linked to the commercial activities of members of the Marzhikpayev family, who have previously been the subject of journalistic investigations.
HOW THE DISPUTED PROPERTY WAS FORMED
According to Nege.kz, citing case materials, in 1997, the Dryuk family privatised a residential house in the village of Burabay along with a land plot of 0.125 hectares. In 2002, the property was sold to Yerik Marzhikpayev, with a land plot of 0.200 hectares registered in his name.
In subsequent years, the area of the plot was repeatedly increased, its designated use changed, and permission was later granted for the construction of a hotel. Subsequently, Yerik Marzhikpayev sold the land to the company ‘Bereke-Burabay’, linked to members of his family. A hotel complex was built on this territory, part of which was sold to a third party in February 2025.
WHAT THE COURT ESTABLISHED
In 2024, the prosecutor's office conducted a review of the legality of the land allocation. In court, representatives of Yerik Marzhikpayev, the LLP ‘Bereke-Burabay’, and the new owner claimed that all transactions were legally formalised and had undergone state registration.
However, the court established that both at the time of concluding the initial contracts and currently, the disputed plots fall within the boundaries of the ‘Burabay’ State National Nature Park (SNNP). It is noted that this conclusion is confirmed by official documents and explanations from experts questioned during the court proceedings.
FAMILY TIES AND THE FBRK INVESTIGATION
It is known that Yerik Marzhikpayev is the brother of Yermek Marzhikpayev, who served as Akim of Akmola Region from 2019 to 2023, and later as Minister of Tourism and Sport. Currently, Yermek Marzhikpayev works as an advisor to the Prime Minister.
In March 2023, the FBRK editorial team published an investigation describing a network of business assets linked to the Marzhikpayev family. The catalyst was a public slip of the tongue by Yermek Marzhikpayev in an interview, after which journalists uncovered his relatives' involvement in commercial structures, including hotel facilities in Burabay.
WHY THE TRANSACTIONS WERE DECLARED ILLEGAL
The court concluded that local executive bodies did not have the legal authority to transfer national park lands into private ownership. Consequently, the 2002 sale and purchase agreement, as well as all subsequent transactions involving these plots, were declared illegal.
It is emphasised, however, that the court decision has not yet entered into force — appeals have been lodged against it.
PARALLEL LAWSUITS AND THE MINISTRY'S POSITION
Earlier, in June 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture, through the regional department for land resource management, filed a lawsuit against another brother of the well-known official — Bolat Marzhikpayev, businesswoman Maira Nurturina, and the Land Relations Department of the Burabay district.
As reported by the Vice-Minister of Agriculture, Yerbol Taszhurekov, the subject of the dispute was contracts from 2004 and 2008 concerning plots located within the specially protected natural area. According to the ministry, there were no government decisions or positive state environmental expert reviews for these lands.