Heads of Samruk-Kazyna Fund and KTZH Detained in Astana
On November 11, Kazakhstan's National Security Committee detained Nurlan Zhakupov, Chairman of the Board of the Samruk-Kazyna Fund, and Yelzhas Otynshiyev, Head of KTZH, on suspicion of a corruption offense.
On November 11 in Astana, the Anti-Corruption Service of Kazakhstan's National Security Committee detained Zhakupov, Otynshiyev, and other individuals. According to the agency, investigative actions are being conducted in relation to the detainees to establish the circumstances of the case.
The National Security Committee has not disclosed details of the pre-trial investigation, citing Article 201 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Procedure Code. The specific article attributed to the suspects has also not been named.
Videos have appeared on Kazakh social media showing suitcases and bags filled with stacks of dollars thrown from a window of a residential complex in central Astana. The footage shows an area cordoned off by police. Several local media outlets linked this incident to the detention of the heads of the fund and KTZH, though the National Security Committee has not confirmed such a connection.
Zhakupov has headed Samruk-Kazyna since 2025. The fund manages Kazakhstan's strategic assets in the oil and gas, transport and logistics, and energy sectors.
Otynshiyev has led KTZH since July 2026. The company manages Kazakhstan's main railway network and plans to conduct an IPO in 2026. The sole shareholder of KTZH is Samruk-Kazyna.
