Dosaev on the return of land from KazNU to the state: "We've won in two instances and are now awaiting the appeal."

“There is a corresponding court decision (regarding the return of the land to the state - Ed.) but it is currently in the appeal stage. We have won in two instances. Now we are waiting. We hope that the owner will make a decision regarding this land,” stated Dosayev.

In response to a follow-up question from Azattyq about what is planned for these lands after their return to state control, Dosayev replied that “the land is located in the R-1 zone (recreation), and it will remain there.”

On the southern border of the land of KazNU named after Al-Farabi, near the same-named avenue, the company Atlas Development, owned by the son-in-law of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, Timur Kulibayev, has begun constructing a business center.

The adjacent plots, which ended up behind a high fence of the construction site, were transferred from the university to the akimat, and the city authorities, in turn, leased them to a private company. The total area is 0.8 hectares. On this land plot, Kulibayev's company has built a business center, and the lower part is planned to be a parking area.

The land, which came under public scrutiny in 2021 following the January events, caught the attention of representatives from various branches of government. In response to a request from the “Ak Zhol” faction, the prosecutor's office stated that violations occurred during the allocation of the land. The Committee for Land Resource Management filed a lawsuit against Kulibayev's business entities, Atlas Development and Omirex. The Interdistrict Economic Court of Almaty upheld the officials' claim.

The court annulled three decrees of the Almaty akimat from 2017, terminated the lease agreements for the land plot from 2020 between the Department of Land Relations and the company Atlas Development, as well as the land lease agreement from 2021 between the university and the Department of Land Relations.

After the court decision, many Kazakhstani media outlets reported that the land had been returned to the university. However, as of December 2024, the land has not been returned to the state. This week, Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek, addressing a query to the Attorney General Berik Asylov regarding the non-implementation of court decisions on land issues in Kazakhstan, mentioned the land plot near KazNU named after Al-Farabi.

“The illegally alienated land plot near KazNU, which should have been returned to state ownership according to the court's decision, and the business center built on it – still has not been returned to the state, and the business center has not been dismantled,” the deputy stated.

Adjacent to the plot where Kulibayev's company is building the business center is another plot, measuring 1.8 hectares, which was transferred from Al-Farabi University to private ownership in 2007. After investigating the history of this plot, Azattyq found that it was privatized “as part of an investment agreement” (more details on this were covered in a previous investigation).

This land plot, designated for “office construction, residential or commercial center,” is also owned by Kulibayev through the company “Kipros.” When and how the land, previously owned by the university, transitioned to Kulibayev's company is unknown. Azattyq previously directed this question to the relevant state authorities. Last year, the Committee for Land Resource Management in Almaty informed Azattyq about the necessity of conducting an unscheduled inspection in the akimat to determine the legality of the asset transfer.

At a briefing on December 18, an Azattyq correspondent asked the akim of Almaty if the city authorities had managed to clarify the legality of the privatization of this plot and how it transitioned to Kulibayev's ownership. Dosayev replied that since January 2022, the powers that were held by the akimat have been transferred to the Department of Land Resource Management of Almaty (a subdivision of the Committee for Land Resources), so they are handling the lawsuits and representing the state's interests. “The only thing is that when a decision is made, the land is transferred to us, meaning we receive the final result,” responded Dosayev.

In response to a follow-up question about what is planned for these lands after their return, the official stated that “dividing the skin of an unshot bear is the most thankless task.” “I would like to assume that after long legal battles over the land, I would like to wait until a decision is made, the court executors sign the acts, and the land ends up on our balance. Only after that can plans be made,” Dosayev declared.

The son-in-law of Nursultan Nazarbayev, Timur Kulibayev, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $5 billion, is one of the few remaining representatives of “old Kazakhstan.” Since 2022, his wealth has increased by $1.2 billion. Kulibayev is currently in litigation with the asset recovery committee and is selling part of his real estate located in Kazakhstan, the UK, Russia, Spain, and other countries.