A luxury residential complex in Shymkent was built without state expert examination and with errors in design solutions. It turned out that the construction of the now-vacant complex was carried out by a company belonging to the former district akim of the Turkestan region.
As reported by vera.kz, in April 2022, the land plot, then located on a wasteland in the 'Old Town' of Shymkent, was transferred to the trust management of Grandstroy Company LLP.
The working project for the construction of a five-storey apartment block and commercial premises near the Koshkar-Ata embankment, on Turysov Street, was approved by the chief architect of Shymkent.
The developer received a positive expert conclusion from a private expert organisation, DMR Investment LLP.
But not everything is as straightforward as it might first appear.
The association, the Chamber of Expert Organisations, found that the assessment of the construction project should have been carried out by specialists from the State Expert Examination, as the facility has a 'technically complex level'.
Specialists from the Chamber of Expert Organisations identified a host of other violations. For example, it turned out that the developer did not have the technical conditions for connecting gas, water, and heat supply.
Moreover, instead of the five storeys specified in the preliminary design, the conclusion showed six storeys and an attic, which allowed for an additional 12 flats in the residential complex.
On the grounds, the green area was reduced by 10% from what was stated, and there was no space for rubbish bins at all. Access for fire engines, as well as the distance from the building's windows to the playground and car park, did not meet standards.
The developer seems to have completely forgotten about the promised commercial premises.
The Council of the Chamber of Expert Organisations decided to exclude DMR Investment LLP from the expert association for systematic violations of project examination procedures.
This was followed by a fine from the Department for Control and Quality of the Urban Environment of Shymkent. This punitive measure was also applied to QAZ BUILDING PROJECT LPP LLP, which had been responsible for the pre-design work.
Penalties were also imposed on the developer itself, which promised to rectify the identified violations.
It emerged that the developer, Grandstroy Company LLP, belongs to a former high-ranking official from southern Kazakhstan.
Maraim Margulan Zulkarnayuly served as the akim of the Shardara district of the Turkestan region from 2007 to 2012. The former akim later moved to the position of deputy chairman of the committee for water resources, and ended his career in 2018 as the head of the department for housing, communal services and energy of the South Kazakhstan region.
Incidentally, the second founder of the company is Zulkarnay Kamila Margulankyzy – presumably the daughter of the former akim, who at the age of 21 already owns several companies: Lombard SERT A LLP, Alatau BG LLP, and Homex LLP.
Margulan Maraim also owns other profitable partnerships. This list includes Almaty Target Group LLP, which buys and sells apartment and residential buildings, and wholesales metal structures.
Kazakhstan Invest Company LLP, also owned by the former official, specialises in the wholesale trade of construction raw materials and carries out finishing work. Similar services are provided by Lotos Trade LLP. Currently, the company's bank accounts have been frozen.
Furthermore, the former akim owns the Badam farming enterprise.
As for Grandstroy Company LLP, it is worth noting that the company later attempted to obtain a state expert examination for the already constructed project. However, this matter was ultimately left unaddressed.