New Criminal Case Under Investigation Against Gulmira Satybaldy

Orda.kz has learned that Gulmira Satybaldy has been transferred from Almaty to Astana, raising questions about an additional criminal case being investigated against her.

According to sources, the transfer may be linked to new legal proceedings involving the ex-wife of the nephew of Kazakhstan’s first President. To verify this information, Orda.kz has contacted the Anti-Corruption Agency and the Prosecutor General’s Office for official confirmation.

Back in the summer of 2024, during the trial of Gulmira Satybaldy and her driver, the lawyer for the victim (Abay Zhunussov) disclosed that another criminal case against her was being investigated separately. 

The case involves the multi-billion tenge debt of Baur Kazakhstan JSC, a company co-founded by Gulmira Satybaldy, Abay Zhunussov, and former Minister of Economy Aibatyr Zhumagulov, to Russia’s VTB Bank.

The bank financed the construction of the controversial Vostochka residential complex in Almaty, which was developed by Aria-Zhana Astana LLP, a subsidiary of Baur Kazakhstan JSC.

According to the lawyer, officials from Almaty Akimat, Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC, and Nurbank are also involved in the case.

The investigation is being conducted under Article 190, Part 4, Clause 2, of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan (Fraud on an especially large scale). We have urged authorities to hold accountable officials from Nurbank, the Almaty Akimat, and Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC, who were involved in these dealings in 2019. Satybaldy could not have carried out these unlawful activities alone. The case concerns the construction of 24 residential buildings,the lawyer stated in court. 

In a separate case, Abay Zhunussov accused Satybaldy of illegally detaining him in his own home for six months in 2019 under her orders. He also claims that fearing for his life, he was forced to transfer his assets and ownership shares in Baur Kazakhstan JSC to individuals linked to Satybaldy.

Once a major holding with a multi-billion tenge turnover, Baur Kazakhstan JSC secured government contracts for large-scale construction projects nationwide. Today, the company is bankrupt and undergoing liquidation.

VTB Bank is attempting to recover a debt from Abay Zhunussov, as the funds were issued under his personal guarantee. However, his lawyer argued in court that Zhunussov never consented to this arrangement.

According to the defense, while Zhunussov was detained, Gulmira Satybaldy allegedly traveled to Moscow to secure financing for the Vostochka residential complex.

At that time, the construction had stalled due to mismanagement by Satybaldy’s trustees. The bank provided funding but placed a personal guarantee on Zhunussov. At the same time, the bank’s management was misled into thinking that Zhunussov was aware of everything and had consented to these actions. Satybaldy then withdrew the funds from VTB, abandoned the construction project, and left behind massive debts—which were ultimately assigned to Zhunussov,said lawyer Rashid Tenizbaev. 

Following this, VTB Bank sued Zhunussov, securing 7.8 billion tenge from him.

With penalties and late fees, the amount has reportedly doubled. The lawyer also implicated Kairat Satybaldyuly in the scheme:

VTB Bank representatives appealed to the Bostandyk District Court, and a judicial enforcer is now enforcing collection from Zhunussov. All of this is the result of Satybaldy’s arbitrariness. At that time, Zhetpysbayev from Samruk-Kazyna Construction JSC flew to Dubai, where he met with Kairat Satybaldyuly to secure his approval for the deal. 

On August 29, 2024, the Almaty Interdistrict Criminal Court sentenced Gulmira Satybaldy to 12 years in a medium-security prison with property confiscation. Her driver, Madi Batyrshaev, received nine years behind bars.

Satybaldy was found guilty under three articles of the Criminal Code: illegal deprivation of liberty, extortion, and arbitrariness.

In January 2025, a Court of Appeal upheld the sentence.

Previously, Satybaldy had been sentenced to eight years in prison in Qyzylorda for embezzlement and misappropriation of assets. Additionally, in May 2023, an Astana District Court convicted her of kidnapping and arbitrariness, sentencing her to seven years in prison.

Original Author: Aliya Askarova