Bazarbek Files Inquiry Into Illegal Land Allocations in Qapchagay and Ili

Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek has filed a parliamentary inquiry with the Prosecutor General, reporting cases of illegal alienation of land along the Qapchagay Reservoir and the Ili River in Almaty Region, Orda.kz reports.

The issue concerns 80 plots within the water protection zone. An inspection found serious violations of land legislation on 50 of them.

What’s shocking isn’t the discovery of violations, but who committed them. Officials in the Qapchagay Akimat, in violation of the Land and Water Codes, granted private ownership and land use to close relatives of the first president, former high-ranking officials, and oligarchs on the Forbes list,Bazarbek said.

The deputy also obtained materials on the seizure of farmland in the Ili District. Former district akim Nikolai Logutov allegedly allocated vast plots to his family through proxies over 14 years. 

Residents claim his son, Konstantin Logutov, now controls the land via companies such as DALA INVEST GROUP and AL-AGRO GROUP. According to villagers, the seized land exceeds 10,000 hectares — larger than the town of Qonayev.

Locals say they cannot obtain even small plots, while the land sits idle or is resold at high prices.

The president clearly stated in his 2024 address: if land is allocated illegally and is not being used, it must be returned to the state through a simplified procedure, Bazarbek reminded.

He urged the Prosecutor General to take the Qapchagay and Ili cases under special control, shield inspectors from pressure, and investigate the alienation of farmland in Ili District.

Earlier, Bazarbek alleged that relatives of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, along with businessmen including Timur Kulibayev and Kairat Boranbayev, were behind the illegal allocation of 82 plots in Qapchagay.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov