Former Justice Minister Marat Beketayev Remains in Custody
Photo: Marat Beketayev Instagram
The arrest of former Justice Minister Marat Beketayev has been extended until March 10, according to the Prosecutor General's Office, Orda.kz reports.
Beketayev was detained in October 2023 while attempting to leave Kazakhstan for London via Istanbul. Since then, he has remained in custody as the investigation continues.
Authorities accuse Beketayev of lobbying for Bolashak Consulting Group, which handled Kazakhstan’s defense in the Stati case.
The firm, linked to former Almaty Mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek and Beketayev, allegedly secured lucrative state contracts for unnecessary services, causing substantial financial losses. He is also suspected of illegally transferring assets abroad with the help of former National Security Committee (KNB) Chief Karim Massimov.
Initially questioned as a witness, Beketayev later became a suspect. While he was previously under a travel ban, the case was kept under wraps to prevent leaks.
In mid-2024, an audit by the Supreme Audit Chamber uncovered irregularities in the Ministry of Justice and its affiliated organizations. The findings were passed to Antikor, Kazakhstan’s anti-corruption agency, which subsequently detained Beketayev and launched an investigation into Bolashak Consulting Group.
Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva
Latest news
- Kazakh Activist Sentenced In Electoral Rights Case
- Kazakhstan Signs Extradition Agreements With Hong Kong And Macau
- Kazakhstan Plans Six Air Taxi Vertiports By 2028
- Why Kazakhstan Is Looking For Belgian Businessman Frank Monstrey
- Government Rejects Higher Markups For Rural Food Stores
- Kazakhstan Prepares Local Suppliers For Nuclear Power Plant Construction
- Akimats Turn To Stock Exchange To Fund Housing Projects
- Kazakhstan To Expand Digital Biometric Records System
- Kazakhstan Farmers Face Contract Blocks Over Irrigation Water Debt
- Former Priest Iakov Vorontsov To Be Sent To Psychiatric Hospital
- Astana Woman Jailed For Visa Fraud Worth Nearly 900 Million Tenge
- Foreign-Plated Car Owners Protest Police Raids In Atyrau
- Kazakhstan Wasted Almost 650 Billion Tenge In 2025, Auditors Say
- Almost 90% Of Kazakh Businesses Still Operate Without Innovation
- Demolition, Resettlement And A New Design Code: How Astana Will Be Rebuilt By 2030
- Kazakhstan Plans Large Energy Storage Systems For Wind And Solar Power
- Authorities Consider LRT From Almaty To Alatau, But Metro Extension Is Not Planned Yet
- Kazakhstani Military Personnel To Receive Expanded Social Guarantees
- Kazakhstan’s Banks Are Still Making Billions, But Profit Growth Is Slowing
- Astana Court Allows Ukraine’s Naftogaz To Recover $1.4 Billion From Gazprom
