Kazakhstan: Anti-Corruption Agency is the most corrupt authority
In Kazakhstan, the number of corruption offenses decreased over three years (2017-2020) by 10.6%. Such data are presented in the National Anti-Corruption report for 2020, published by the Anti-Corruption Agency.
According to the report, the largest number of corruption offenses is committed directly in the Anti-Corruption Agency itself. So, in 2020, anti-corruption fighters recorded 1,632 corruption crimes in their ranks, which is 5% less than in 2019 (1,717 crimes).
The next most corrupt authority is the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 342 corruption crimes were committed by law enforcement officials last year (269 in 2019, an increase of 27%).
The National Security Committee is in third place in the ranking of the most corrupt authorities. In 2019, security officials committed 128 corruption crimes, and in 2020 – 89 (a decrease of 30%).
The number of corrupt officials in the ranks of prosecutors also increased by 20%. So, if in 2019, 65 corruption crimes were committed in the supervisory authority, then in 2020 – already 78.
At the same time, as noted in the National Report, the most popular corruption crime is giving a bribe. In 2020, 624 facts were registered, which is 41.8% more than in 2019 (440 facts).
But taking a bribe, on the contrary, shows a negative trend: 568 facts in 2020 against 649 in 2019.
“According to the corruption facts registered in 2020 by the Anti-Corruption Agency, 722 persons were convicted, including 144 heads (including 1 mayor of the region, 4 deputy regional mayors, 2 executive secretaries of the Ministry, 2 chairmen of the Committee, 1 ambassador, 5 judges, 10 district and city mayors). 25 especially grave and 1368 grave crimes, 112 facts of systemic corruption were suppressed,” the report notes.
It also reports that anti-corruption fighters managed to recover $ 120.7 million out of $ 143 million of established damage in 2020. At the same time, the amount of fines for bribery amounted to $ 6.6 million.
“The total economic effect of the Agency’s work on preventive and criminal law areas amounted to $ 227.6 million in 2020,” the report says.
The report also notes that in the corruption perception index of Transparency International, for the first time in 2020, Kazakhstan scored 38 points, which allowed the republic to take 94th place among 180 countries.
“In the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia (average score is 36 points), 19 countries were assessed. The leaders are: Georgia – 56 points, Armenia – 49 points, Belarus – 47 points, Mon/wpints, Turkey – 40 points, Kazakhstan and Serbia – 38 points each. According to the World Bank’s data on the “Control of corruption” indicator, Kazakhstan has more than doubled the percentile rank over the past three years – from 19.7% to 43.8%,” the report says.
