Residents of Almaty who invested in the construction of cottages several years ago are still unable to move into their homes. The victims are demanding their money back, while the developer is on the run, according to infohub.kz.
It turned out that more than 50 people bought cottages at the foundation stage four years ago. Many took out loans and sold their own homes, but never celebrated a housewarming. Now they have to visit the site daily to protect it from looters.
One of the investors, Rustem Abugali, said the developer inspired confidence: the construction site was fenced off, workers were present, and machinery was on site. However, deadlines were constantly postponed, and later it emerged that several buyers were claiming the same house. "He first sold it to us, then to another owner, then to yet another," he shared.
Construction of the cottage community began in 2022. The developer asked from 33 million tenge per house. Currently, only the foundation and brick walls have been built on the site; windows, doors, and stairs are missing. Work has completely stopped.
The family of Yerzhan Sheraliyev decided to expand and exchanged their 400-square-meter house for three cottages. They transferred ownership of their home to the company's director, but construction suddenly ceased. For the fourth year now, Yerzhan, his wife, children, and elderly mother have been forced to rent an apartment. He showed a certificate from eGov confirming ownership of the land plot and a preliminary sales contract, but the house was never completed.
The developer's office was located right on the construction site in a metal container, which did not alarm clients. Now the businessman is not answering calls. The investors contacted the police, and a criminal case was opened on charges of large-scale fraud. The suspect has been placed on the international wanted list.
Official representative of the Almaty Police Department, Saltanat Azirbek, confirmed that citizen M. has been recognized as a suspect, and a court has chosen pre-trial detention in absentia. Law enforcement is determining the amount of damage, and the properties have been seized. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.