Beketaev Marat Bakytzhanovich

Beketaev Marat Bakytzhanovich

Biography

2025: Sentence - 9 years in prison for public procurement of unnecessary services

The court of Kazakhstan sentenced the former Minister of Justice Marat Beketaev to nine years in prison with confiscation of property for fraud and theft of public funds on an especially large scale. The ex-minister is accused of lobbying the interests of an affiliated company through the conclusion of contracts for deliberately unnecessary services. This was announced at the end of June 2025 by the official representative of the Anti-Corruption Service Daniyar Bigaidarov.

According to Tengri News, the criminal case against Beketaev was investigated on the facts of fraud, theft on an especially large scale and illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity. The investigation was conducted under the heading "Secret," which limits the possibility of disclosing the details of the case.

Daniyar Bigaidarov noted that all the case materials and the circumstances of the crime are not subject to disclosure due to the secrecy of the investigation. A spokesman for Antikor said of restrictions related to criminal law in providing details on the case.

According to the Anti-Corruption Service, the ex-minister lobbied for the interests of an affiliated company by concluding annual contracts for the provision of deliberately unnecessary services. Such actions caused particularly large damage to the state budget of the country.

Marat Beketaev was detained in October 2023. The Astana court has repeatedly extended the length of his arrest throughout the investigation period. The case was in the production of law enforcement agencies for more than a year and a half.

First Deputy Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency Ulan Sarkulov previously confirmed that the case of the former Minister of Justice is being investigated under the heading "Secret." The secrecy regime was established in connection with the nature of the crimes committed.^[1]

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