Kazakh national economy minister dismissed in light of investigation against him - Nazarbayev
ASTANA. Dec 30 (Interfax) - Kazakh National Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev has been dismissed from his office because of investigative procedures opened against him, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
"National Economy Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev has been dismissed from his office in light of questions that have arisen regarding his work at the Baiterek holding. At the present time, investigative activities are under way in relation to him," Nazarbayev said during a meeting with the Kazakh Foreign Ministry's leadership on Friday.
The president's commentary is available on his press service's official Facebook account.
Nazarbayev had signed a decree on Bishimbayev's dismissal on December 28.
Timur Suleimenov has been appointed a new national economy minister.
Bishimbayev was appointed national economy minister in May 2016. Before this appointment, he had headed the national holding Baiterek.
The Kazakh National Anti-Corruption Bureau announced in November that top-managers of the company Baiterek Development, a subsidiary of the national holding Baiterek, had been detained on suspicion of corruption.
The investigation claims to have uncovered a corruption scheme that has existed in the company for a long time, with officials accepting major bribes for lobbying interests of construction companies in purchasing services on building rental housing in Kazakhstan's provinces under a state program.
Bishimbayev himself told journalists he had been unaware of any corruption schemes existing in the holding's subsidiary.
