Almaty Region officials resign after orphanage relocation scandal shakes leadership
A personnel shake-up has taken place in Almaty Region after a scandal over the forced relocation of orphaned children. Two senior officials resigned following the incident at Regional Orphanage No. 1. The region’s akim, Marat Sultangaziyev, has since addressed the changes in leadership roles.
Erik Abitov, head of the internal policy department, stepped down shortly after the controversy came to light. Before this role, he had briefly worked in the Konaev akimat and later moved into the private sector. His resignation marked the first major change in the wake of the scandal.
Saltanat Baspaeva, who led the education department, also left her position in August. By October, she had reapplied for a new role through an open competition. She was then appointed head of the language development department, though no other publicly known candidate has been named for the position.
Sultangaziyev commented on the shifts, confirming that the resignations were linked to the orphanage incident. The changes reflect an effort to address the fallout from the forced relocations.
The resignations of Abitov and Baspaeva follow direct criticism of their handling of the orphanage situation. Baspaeva’s return in a different capacity suggests a restructuring of responsibilities within the administration. The region’s leadership has not yet announced further appointments or policy changes.
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