A criminal case has been opened against the son of the former Chairman of the Mazhilis, Nurlan Nigmatulin, - Nurzhan Nurlanov, under the article ‘Arbitrariness’.
According to ORDA, Nurlanov previously held the positions of director of the Baiterek holding company and KazMunaiGas-Aero LLP.
‘The investigative department of the Almaty police department is conducting a pre-trial investigation under Article 389 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, “Arbitrariness”. Investigative actions are being carried out for a comprehensive, complete and objective study of the circumstances of the case. Other information is not subject to disclosure’, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
Recall that former speaker of the Mazhilis, Nurlan Nigmatulin, left his post on 1 February 2022 after the January events. He had led the lower house of parliament since 2016, which was his second term as chairman – he was previously speaker of the Mazhilis from 2012 to 2014. In various years, he headed the presidential administration and was the akim of the Karaganda region.
Erlan Nigmatulin – Nurlan Nigmatulin's twin brother – also held a deputy seat in both the Mazhilis and the Senate. Both brothers have repeatedly faced unofficial accusations of corporate raiding and possible involvement with criminal structures.
Argyn Nigmatulin – their older brother, a former deputy of the maslikhat of the Karaganda region. Incidentally, last July it was reported that the regional prosecutor's office returned the hockey club ‘Saryarka’, valued at 900 million tenge, to the state. It was also noted at the time that the hockey club was in the sphere of interest of Argyn Nigmatulin.
In March, Argyn Nigmatulin was placed on an international wanted list. He and other individuals are suspected of embezzling budget funds allocated for the development of hockey in the Karaganda region.
Later, journalists conducted a detailed analysis of the assets of the eldest of the Nigmatulins, which revealed an extensive network of business interests and property in Kazakhstan and abroad.