“There will be no division into ‘us’ and ‘them’“: President spoke on the fight against corruption in Kazakhstan
During the meeting, the President outlined the state's position regarding the high-profile detention of the executives.
"The Constitution is the Fundamental Law of our state, the legal passport of the people. To neglect the Constitution and its core provisions is equivalent to discriminating against the people. Such actions will be suppressed by us in accordance with the principle of 'Law and Order.' When it comes to the reputation of the state, public trust in national institutions, and the international prestige of Kazakhstan, all of us entrusted with power by the people must demonstrate integrity in defending national interests. This is both a civic and political duty," the President stated.
He noted that the Samruk-Kazyna fund manages the country's strategic assets, implements large-scale investment projects, and interacts with major foreign companies and international financial institutions.
"Behind every such agreement and partnership stand numerous and long-term negotiations, Kazakhstan's obligations, and the trust of the international community in our country," the Head of State emphasized.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that all reports of corruption offenses involving executives at various levels will be promptly and thoroughly investigated.
According to official data, between 2023 and 2025 alone, 3,168 corruption offenses were identified, of which 2,165 were committed by civil servants, and the remainder by other individuals, including employees of the so-called quasi-public sector. The total amount exceeds 248 billion tenge.
"In just the first 10 months of 2026, 751 corruption-related offenses were committed, including 546 by civil servants and 205 by other individuals, including quasi-public sector employees. The corruption situation remains challenging, but we do not intend to hide anything from the public or bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We speak openly about both the state of affairs in this area and the measures taken or being taken to curb corruption. Therefore, all signals of corruption offenses by executives at various levels will be promptly and thoroughly checked by the Anti-Corruption Service of the National Security Committee (NSC) with the participation of the Prosecutor General's Office. Naturally, there will be no division into 'our own,' 'not quite our own,' and certainly not 'outsiders.' Our Constitution has enshrined the principle of equality of all citizens before the Law. We must fulfill this requirement," the Head of State concluded.
Detentions at Samruk-Kazyna and KTZ
On November 12, the National Security Committee reported that the Anti-Corruption Service detained on November 11 Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Management Board of Samruk-Kazyna,, Elzhas Otynshiyev, head of KTZ, along with other individuals on suspicion of committing a corruption crime.
According to official data, investigative actions are being carried out to establish all the circumstances of the case. No further information regarding the course of the pre-trial investigation has been previously disclosed by the NSC.
Note: Samruk-Kazyna is Kazakhstan's sovereign wealth fund, established to manage the country's largest strategic enterprises and improve their efficiency. It serves as a holding company that owns and manages key assets of the national economy in the interests of its citizens. The fund's portfolio includes major companies in the oil and gas, transport, energy, and telecommunications sectors, such as KazMunayGas, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazatomprom, Air Astana, Kazakhtelecom, and KEGOC.
Nurlan Zhakupov was appointed Chairman of the Board of Samruk-Kazyna in April 2023.
The Chairman of the Board of KTZ, Elzhas Otynshiyev, was appointed head of the national company in July of this year; he was detained less than four months later. On November 12, videos also circulated on social media showing dollar bills scattered near a residential complex on Kunayev Street in Astana. The footage shows entire stacks of banknotes..
Social media posts suggest that this money may be linked to the case involving the detention of the Samruk-Kazyna and KTZ executives. Additionally, a version is circulating that bags and suitcases filled with money were allegedly thrown out of an apartment window by the spouse of one of the detainees during a search. however, there has been no official confirmation of this information or any link between the bills found on the street and the investigation.
Earlier, reports also appeared online purportedly showing the detention of the heads of Samruk-Kazyna and KTZ.