FBRK.KZ

The High Court of England and Wales has upheld the global freezing of assets belonging to Kazakh businessman Timur Kuanyshev and related parties, following a claim by the Russian bank VTB. The dispute concerns a loan of 7.19 billion rubles to the company Pechoraneftegaz. The court refused to modify the terms of asset disclosure, emphasising the importance of full transparency, while increasing the amount of security required from the claimant. The proceedings continue across multiple jurisdictions.

The Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan has been granted additional powers to collect and analyse data, including access to anonymised information from telecoms operators. The relevant amendments were made by Order No. 12 of 13 March 2026.

In the North Kazakhstan Region, the akim of the Timiryazev rural district, Maksat Nurikenov, has been brought to disciplinary responsibility after purchasing 100,000 seedlings of unknown origin for 4 million tenge. A prosecutor's inspection established the absence of quality documents and the non-compliance of the seedlings with requirements, as a result of which they were deemed unsuitable for planting.

Since the beginning of the year in Kazakhstan, courts have found 17 people guilty on terrorism and extremism charges based on materials from the National Security Committee. Among them are defendants who were detained abroad and subsequently returned to the country.

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.