FBRK.KZ

Wanted in Kazakhstan, Argyn Nigmatulin may be in Portugal, where a villa worth around 3 billion tenge is registered in his wife's name. It is reported that his possible presence in Europe could complicate the procedure of his extradition to the Kazakh authorities.

At the Orlovskaya mine of KAZ Minerals in the Abay region, a gas release occurred. As a result, one worker died, and two others were injured and hospitalised. A criminal case has been opened in connection with the incident, and the circumstances are being investigated.

In Ust-Kamenogorsk, the police have completed an investigation of an incident on a bus. According to the East Kazakhstan Region Police Department, two participants in the conflict were held administratively liable: one for harassment in a public place, and the second for minor hooliganism after throwing a punch.

In Ust-Kamenogorsk, a court is hearing a criminal case against the former first deputy akim of the East Kazakhstan Region, Zhaksylyk Omar. He is charged with counts relating to fraud and bribery. According to the investigation, one count concerns a car worth 13 million tenge, and the second relates to the transfer of funds amounting to 20 million tenge. The defendant has pleaded guilty; the next hearing is scheduled for 26 March.

In Taraz, police have detained a civil activist on suspicion of extorting 5 million tenge from a local resident. According to the investigation, he allegedly threatened to spread information on social media that could damage the complainant's reputation, and demanded money in exchange for not publishing it and removing comments. The suspect was caught red-handed, and a pre-trial investigation is underway.

In Ekibastuz, the prosecutor's office has identified violations of professional ethics among civil servants of the akimat, who were found to have active accounts with bookmakers. The materials have been forwarded to the Ethics Council, and the head of the akimat's apparatus has been subjected to disciplinary action.

In Kazakhstan, an administrative amnesty will be implemented for the first time, with the potential to write off fines for citizens. The initiative is being carried out under the updated Constitution and involves a review of approaches to liability for offences that do not pose a threat to society.

A video has been circulating online showing a moving train crashing into a herd of saiga antelopes in the Akmola Region. Kazakhstan Temir Zholy has confirmed the incident, clarifying that the footage was taken between 2024 and 2025 on the Koluton — Zhaltyr and Zhenis — Kyzylzhar sections.

In Ust-Kamenogorsk, an incident involving possible harassment of underage girls occurred on a city bus. According to media reports, they were forced to leave the vehicle before their intended stop. A passenger intervened, which led to a conflict inside the bus. The police department of the East Kazakhstan Region stated that they are conducting an investigation and are establishing the circumstances of the incident.

The Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan has presented a draft resolution providing for changes to the rules on the cultivation of industrial hemp, including a relaxation of requirements for crop protection. It is proposed to abandon the mandatory continuous physical fencing of plantations and to use technical means of control.