Kazakhstan: 117 bribe-takers were convicted during 9 months

In Kazakhstan, during 9 months of this year, 381 pre-trial investigations were carried out on the facts of giving bribes to officials. Of these, 274 cases were sent to court, 117 persons were convicted. This was announced by Daniyar Bigaydarov, the investigator for especially important cases of the Anti-Corruption Agency.

 Bigaydarov recalled that giving a bribe to an official is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, as well as confiscation of property and life deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities.

“However, the heavier punishment is social responsibility towards other people and the consequences that occur in society due to corruption. They remain a black spot not only on the corrupt official himself, but also on his generation, on his relatives and friends,” Bigaydarov said philosophically.

At the same time, he noted that according to the results of the analysis of corruption schemes carried out by the department, it turns out that bribe-givers are mainly representatives of private companies, which, with help of bribing officials, create more favorable conditions for themselves to engage in entrepreneurial activity.

“I would like to warn entrepreneurs that they should think seriously before giving a bribe. Such actions can deprive them of their sources of income and leave their employees unemployed. Better to report corruption, pay a fine, but not break the law! By giving a bribe, entrepreneurs destroy the natural conditions of competition and violate the norms of business ethics, which will subsequently affect the development of our country and economy!” the fighter against corruption emphasized.

Over the past two weeks, according to Bigaydarov, the anti-corruption service has registered over 80 pre-trial investigations, detained 8 officials, six of them were put under arrest.

So, in the West Kazakhstan region, an investigation was launched against the head of the Regional health department and his accomplice, who, from 12 to 23 October 2020, received a bribe from the director of a private company in the amount of more than $ 18,000 for the unhindered signing of acts of completed work and acceptance of inventory holdings, according to previously concluded government procurement agreements with the company for the supply of medical equipment (monitors) for a total amount of over $ 181,000.

ACCA has already reported with reference to its sources about the detention of the head of the health department of the West Kazakhstan region, Bolatbek Kayupov. Now Bigaydarov has officially confirmed this information.

The information, received by ACCA from insider sources about other criminal cases and pre-trial investigations carried out against other health officials in some other regions of Kazakhstan concerning violations in the distribution and use of budget funds allocated to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, was also confirmed.

So, according to Bigaydarov, the anti-corruption service of Zhambyl region is investigating a criminal case against officials of the Regional health department on the fact of embezzlement of budget funds allocated to fight against the coronavirus pandemic by purchasing medical products at an overcharge cost. The damage to the state amounted to more than $ 20,000.

The officer Bigaydarov also said that over the past week, 17 convictions were passed in corruption cases, in which 23 people were convicted. 15 of them are heads of various levels in government agencies.

“7 persons were sentenced to imprisonment, 5 – to restraint of freedom, 10 – to fines for a total amount of more than $ 186,000,” the speaker explained.