Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB) has confirmed the detention of Talgat Ardan, the former head of the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, in Turkey. Ardan, who had been placed on an international wanted list, is accused of embezzling significant budgetary funds allocated for the capital’s metro system.
Legal proceedings against Ardan stem from a major corruption case that surfaced in 2020. A criminal trial launched in Astana that autumn revealed the alleged embezzlement of billions of tenge earmarked for the LRT’s construction. In May 2021, seven individuals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to ten years. Two key figures, Ardan and former Astana deputy mayor Kanat Sultanbekov, were named as the scheme’s organizers and subsequently added to Interpol’s red notice list.
“In September 2019, the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan submitted an extradition request to Turkey’s Ministry of Justice. Following this, Turkish authorities initiated a search. This year, the KNB confirmed Ardan’s whereabouts, and he was detained by law enforcement in Antalya,” the committee’s press service reported. On May 9, a court in Antalya approved his deportation to Kazakhstan, where he remains in custody pending extradition proceedings.
An Astana court had previously found Ardan guilty in absentia under Articles 189, Part 4, and 361, Part 4 of the Criminal Code, covering the embezzlement of budget funds and abuse of office. He was sentenced to nine years in prison. Investigators reported that KZT 5.8 billion (approximately $11 million) was misappropriated during the construction of the LRT line. Ardan led the project from 2014 to 2017.
The Astana LRT was originally slated for completion before the Expo 2017 exhibition but suffered repeated delays due to financial shortfalls. In 2022, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev questioned the viability of the project, pointing to its 22-kilometer route and limited utility. He suggested repurposing the already-installed infrastructure. Nevertheless, city authorities opted to continue construction. Then-Mayor Altai Kulginov argued that dismantling the partially built system would cost more than completing it.
As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, the city’s current mayor, Zhenis Kasymbek, has pledged to open the first phase of the LRT by the end of this year.
