FBRK.KZ

A court in Aktobe has found former head of an aircraft repair plant, Gennady Mezentsev, guilty of theft of property and sentenced him to 7 years in prison. According to the investigation, between 2017 and 2021, aviation components were written off at the enterprise without being actually used. The court also ordered him to pay compensation for damages amounting to 83 million tenge. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

In Pavlodar, unconfirmed information is circulating about arrests connected to the 'Safe City' project, with the former head of the digital technology department and a contractor representative potentially implicated. According to Azat Peruashev, they may be charged with bribery, but no official data has yet been released. There is also talk of possible camera removals due to equipment not meeting contract specifications. Earlier, the Ak Zhol party criticised the project for its high cost (around 8.5 billion tenge) and lack of transparency.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that elections for the unicameral Kurultai will be held in August, with the decree to be signed after the new Constitution comes into force. The date was announced early to give parties around five months to prepare for the campaign. The Kurultai will become the supreme representative body, replacing the current parliament, and will consist of 145 deputies. The elections are seen as the start of wide-ranging political reforms, including changes to the system of government, the creation of a People's Council, and the introduction of the post of Vice-President.

In Astana, police officers during the special operation "No to Livestock Theft" stopped a cargo truck carrying meat products without documents and veterinary stamps. More than 6 tonnes of meat were found in the lorry — 26 cattle carcasses and 5 horse carcasses. The owner of the cargo has been held administratively liable, the products have been seized and sent for examination, and an inspection is underway.

Peasants in the Zhambyl region have faced a refusal to supply irrigation water at the height of the planting campaign. Due to a shortage of water resources, linked to a decrease in reserves at the Orto-Tokoy Reservoir, some farmers may be left without a harvest. Authorities are offering alternative solutions, but agricultural workers say it is already too late to change their plans.

In March 2026, prices for secondary and rental housing in Kazakhstan fell, while new builds continued to rise. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the secondary market dropped by 1.5%, rentals by 1.0%, and primary housing increased by 1.0%. Price dynamics were uneven across segments and regions.

The authorities have determined the directions for using 3 trillion tenge allocated to the security bloc for 2026. The funds will be directed towards modernising weaponry, procuring new equipment, developing unmanned systems, updating aviation, and strengthening air defence.

A scandal has erupted at Al-Farabi KazNU over the dissemination of students' personal and medical data through supervisor chats. The university has stated that data protection is a priority and has launched an internal investigation.

In the Aktobe region, officers of the Department for Combating Organised Crime have identified a group of individuals suspected of illegal mediation in the processing of documents for foreign nationals. According to the police, services were provided for a fee using forged documents. A criminal case has been opened on charges of forgery and sale of documents, and investigative measures are ongoing.