Football clubs of Kazakhstan will be checked for corruption
Professional football clubs of Kazakhstan will be audited by the independent audit company “Atameken-Aydit”. As follows from the published message, this check, aimed at identifying embezzlers, was initiated by the closest associates of the President of Kazakhstan, Kasym-Zhomart Tokaev.
The reason for such close attention to sports functionaries was the results of the audit conducted by the Atameken-Aydit at the football club “Irtysh”.
Recall, as the press service of the city hall of Pavlodar reported, the results of this audit revealed that the football club in the period from 2017 to 2019 didn’t pay taxes to the budget for a total of more than $2.5 million. The auditors also revealed that the salary sheet of the coaching staff and players was overstated by almost $1 million. The club’s administration also paid money to the so-called “dead souls”, that is, non-existent employees, deducted medicines without supporting documents, and also made decisions that resulted lawsuits worth more than $1.4 million.
Recall that the football club “Irtysh” is funded by the state. In the last couple of years, the club’s budget was about $5-6.5 million, most of which comes from the regional budget.
Checking the club began essentially due to quarantine. Since sports events were suspended, the football players lost the opportunity to earn. Then the players and the club’s employees sent an open letter to the mayor of the region and asked him to understand this issue, as well as consider providing them with financial assistance from the state on an equal basis with other state employees (doctors, teachers, and so on), because the work in football club is the only source of income for them and their families. The letter was signed by 77 people.
“According to the administration of the football club “Irtysh”, now the club has financial difficulties caused by accumulated debts and a significant reduction in sponsorship. Currently, the audit of club’s financial condition has completed and its legal assessment is undergoing. At the end of all the necessary procedures, decisions will be made, and the public will be informed about them,” the mayor of Pavlodar region noted in response to the players’ letter.
Now, after such machinations were revealed at the football club “Irtysh”, it was decided to conduct an audit in other football clubs of Kazakhstan.
“The task was set for the auditors: to identify criminal schemes and bring to the clean water corrupt officials in Kazakhstan’s sports and football who have plundered national budget money for decades,” the report, which was published on sportinfo.kz, sums up.
