The key facts
- Eight suitcases were thrown out of a high-rise residential building in the Atlant complex in Astana; according to media reports, they contained $80 million
- Kazakh law enforcement agencies have not yet commented on the incident
- A possible connection to the case of Nurlan Zhakupov and Yelzhas Otinshiyev is being discussed, but it has not been officially confirmed
What happened
In Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, eight suitcases filled with money were thrown out of a high-rise residential building belonging to the Atlant complex. According to Kazakh and Russian media reports citing eyewitness videos, the publications mention an amount of about 80 million dollars.
Possible connection to a corruption case
A number of outlets suggest that the incident may be connected to the detention of Nurlan Zhakupov, chairman of the board of the state fund Samruk-Kazyna, and Yelzhas Otinshiyev, head of the national railway company KTZ, as part of a corruption case. The KTZ office is located directly next to the Atlant residential complex. However, the connection between the suitcases of money and the detention of the top managers has not yet been officially confirmed.
What remains unknown
Kazakh law enforcement agencies have not yet made any comments regarding the reports about the suitcases of money. Neither the amount, nor the ownership of the money, nor the circumstances of it being thrown out of the building's window have been confirmed — the known information is based on eyewitness videos and media publications.
