Kazakhstan’s state anti-corruption agency said it has detained a nephew of former President Nursultan Nazarbaev, the latest in a series of moves against his family.
Kairat Satybaldyuly, 52, was detained "on suspicion of abuse of power and embezzlement involving large sums of money," the agency said in a statement on March 13.
The statement added that investigation was under way to determine “Satybaldyuly’s possible involvement in other crimes that undermine state security.” It didn’t provide further details.
Nazarbaev, 81, resigned as president in 2019, picking longtime ally Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev as his successor. But he retained sweeping powers as the head of the security council, while many of his relatives continued to hold important posts in the government, security agencies, and profitable energy groups.
In January, protests over a fuel price hike turned violent across Kazakhstan, and Toqaev stripped Nazarbaev of the security council role, taking it over himself.
Just days after the protests, Nazarbaev's two sons-in-law, Qairat Sharipbaev and Dimash Dosanov, were pushed out of top jobs at two major state companies, QazaqGaz and KazTransOil, respectively.
Sharipbaev is widely known to be married to Nazarbaev’s eldest daughter, Darigha. Dosanov is the husband of Nazarbaev's youngest daughter, Aliya.
The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, Atameken, announced the resignation of its chairman, Timur Kulibaev, who is also Nazarbaev's son-in-law.
On February 25, Darigha Nazarbaeva said that she was giving up her parliamentary seat.
Toqaev has said publicly that he wanted Nazarbaev's associates to share their wealth with the public by making regular donations to a new charity foundation.
Nazarbaev appeared in public for the first time in over two months this week as he attended a diplomatic conference in Turkey.
