Dozens of families in Astana risk losing their homes after the management of a construction company sold the same apartments to multiple buyers, according to the website infohub.kz.
An investigation into the management of a construction company suspected of repeatedly selling the same apartments has been completed in Astana. The indictment has been sent to court. According to investigators, total damages exceed 4.5 billion tenge.
Among the victims are the Malikov couple. The family bought an apartment in 2024, completed the transaction, registered ownership, and moved in. However, a few months later, the apartment was seized.
"We signed a purchase agreement with the owner of the apartment. We paid the amount, completed the deal. Two days later, we got a certificate from eGov confirming no encumbrances. Everything was clean, the apartment was registered in our name. We moved in and had a housewarming. Then in the fall of 2025, we faced the problem that the apartment had been seized," said Astana resident Samat Malikov.
Dozens of buyers faced a similar situation, according to the criminal case materials. Fifty-one individuals and one legal entity have been recognized as victims. The seller listed in the documents is the limited liability partnership International Invest Company IIC.
One victim, Ainagul Bakirova, said she bought three apartments at once. "On January 10, 2025, I purchased three apartments. I paid in cash at the company. The owners personally took the money. They counted it, took it, and gave me three deposit agreements and three payment orders. Then they showed me all the documents — construction permit, commissioning act, Form No. 2 — saying everything was legal and we could move in and renovate," she said.
The capital's Department of Economic Investigations reported that four people have been charged. The investigation believes that contracts were signed and money was handed over at the company's office in the presence of the accused.
According to the department, the funds went to their personal accounts, but neither the accounting documents nor the banking system reflected who actually owned the money. Investigators believe this scheme allowed them to evade taxes. It was also established that over two years, the same apartments were sold to multiple buyers.
"The pre-trial investigation has been completed, the indictment approved by the Astana city prosecutor's office, and the criminal case sent to the Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana for consideration on the merits. The defendants are charged with criminal offenses under Article 189, Part 4, Paragraph 2; Article 190, Part 4, Paragraph 2; and Article 399, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan," law enforcement authorities reported.
The Astana prosecutor's office clarified that if convicted, the defendants face five to 12 years in prison. The court will decide the fate of the seized apartments.
Buyers fear they will have to defend their rights in civil court. Many say the purchased homes are their only property.