Ulytau Court Acquits Official in Flood Damage Case

The Ulytau District Court acquitted Kuat Imantusupov, head of the regional Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, who had been accused of abuse of office, Orda.kz reports.

Judges ruled that the 47.2 million tenge in damages from the spring 2024 flood in Zhezdy was not connected to his actions.

Background

In spring 2024, the Zhezdy River overflowed in the Ulytau region, flooding 10 houses and forcing the evacuation of 108 residents, including 56 children.

Following the disaster, investigators accused Imantusupov of abuse of office during bank reinforcement and river sanitation works, claiming the state suffered damages of 47.2 million tenge.

During the trial, major flaws in the investigation emerged. Soil and crushed stone laboratory tests cited by investigators were either improperly accredited or never conducted.

A repeat inspection on May 15, 2025, confirmed there were no violations during construction of the dam. Experts concluded the work complied with the design. The court emphasized that the flooding resulted solely from the excess volume of water in the river, not the quality of construction.

On this basis, the court acquitted Imantusupov under Article 361 of the Criminal Code, lifted his house arrest, unfroze his bank accounts, and ordered all material evidence returned to the contractor and supervisory authorities.

The court also recognized Imantusupov’s right to rehabilitation and compensation for damages caused by the investigative bodies’ actions, with all procedural costs assigned to the state.

Notable detail

Court documents revealed that the riverbank reinforcement was carried out by TOO TOLAGAI-2050, linked to Aqbota Nazarbayeva, daughter of the late Bolat Nazarbayev, younger brother of Kazakhstan’s first president.

The company has repeatedly been linked to controversies over state contracts. In an interview with Orda.kz, Majilis deputy Aidos Sarym criticized the Ministry of Transport for failing to terminate the agreement with Nazarbayeva’s company and seek compensation.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva

The original article was published on 23/08/25.