Former director of the morgue of Almaty, Bakhytzhan Alibekov, was sentenced to 8 years in prison, accused of illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity, misappropriation and embezzlement of entrusted property on a large scale and an attempt to receive a bribe.
Alibekov was detained in October 2020 on suspicion of taking a bribe on an especially large scale – $ 32.6 thousand. The video of the arrest of the morgue director was posted on the official website of the Anti-Corruption Agency.
As reported then in the Anti-Corruption Service, the director of the city pathoanatomical bureau of Almaty received a bribe from an entrepreneur for signing acceptance certificates for the supply of medical equipment in the city pathoanatomical bureau under construction.
In February 2021, upon completion of the investigation, the Anti-Corruption Service reported that new charges appeared in the case of Alibekov; the morgue director was also suspected of embezzling $ 10,500 under a public procurement agreement.
“To steal this money, in spite of the prohibition established by law, he created Veritas Primus LLP,” the Anti-Corruption Service reported at the time.
According to the legislation of Kazakhstan, civil servants and persons, authorized to perform government functions, are prohibited from engaging in entrepreneurial activities. As a rule, this prohibition is violated everywhere: officials simply re-register their business to their relatives, but at the same time remain its actual owner.
The director of the morgue of Almaty followed the same path. As established by the investigation, in February 2018, Alibekov instructed his driver Tursynov to register the company “Veritas Primus” in his name.
“The driver Tursynov, being dependent on Alibekov, handed him the constituent documents of the company “Veritas Primus”. In February 2019, Alibekov, being the actual owner of this company, contrary to the prohibitions established by the laws on the civil service, asked his friend Kamashuly to re-register this company in his [Kamashuly] name,” State Prosecutor Damir Kenzhalin said at the trial.
Then Alibekov held a tender for public procurement of services for organizing the disposal of biological waste in a cemetery in the amount of $ 14.2 thousand. Alibekov himself was the chairman of the state commission at this tender. Naturally, his company won the competition. However, since Veritas Primus was a fictitious company and had neither employees nor special equipment, Alibekov entered into an agreement for the provision of these services with another company, Rada Logistic, in the amount of $ 8.5 thousand.
“He entrusted the duties of the company “Veritas Primus” to the company “Rada Logistic” so that there would be no negative consequences for the non-fulfillment of waste collection by Veritas Primus. Then Alibekov instructed Kamashuly to cash out the money received on the accounts of Veritas Primus and transfer it to him. From January to October 2020, Kamashuly cashed out $ 10.5 thousand and transferred it to Alibekov,” the state prosecutor explained to the court.
As for the bribe, the investigation found that the enterprise “Interneyted Company”supplied the medical equipment worth $ 1.28 million to the new building of the pathoanatomical bureau.
“Alibekov, knowing that by virtue of his powers, his duties include signing acts of acceptance and transfer of medical equipment, demanded a bribe from the company’s representative in the amount of $ 32.6 thousand,” the representatives of the prosecution said in court.
As a result, the court found the former director of the morgue guilty of all the crimes incriminated to him and sentenced him to 8 years in prison with the prohibition to hold certain positions for life.
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