Kazakhstan: corruption in the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs drove a cadet to suicide
The Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan dismissed the head of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Almaty, Omerbay Smailov, and five employees of the institution from their posts.
The deputy head of the Academy, in charge of educational and ideological work, was also presented for dismissal. Another 11 employees are subject to strict disciplinary action. In addition, a special group from the administration and responsible employees of HR and internal security department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrived at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Almaty.
All this was a reaction to the death of one of the Academy’s cadets – 19-year-old Salamat Utegenov, a native of the West Kazakhstan region, more precisely, to his suicide.
Salamat Utegenov, a third-year student, was found in a noose in one of the back rooms of the Academy’s dining room on December 13.
As the mother of the deceased cadet Bekzat Imangalieva told the Uralsk week, her son was driven to suicide or killed.
According to her, the Academy was constantly extorting money from the cadets. Immediately after entering the Academy, a group was created on WhatsApp for the cadets’ parents. We received a message that the parents of each cadet must contribute $ 100. This money was supposedly to be used to buy household appliances for the barracks.
Then Salamat began asking his parents for money to buy shovels for snow removal, then asked for $ 200 to successfully pass the session. According to the guy, it was impossible to pass the exams without money, and those who did not pass the exam were not allowed to go home for the holidays.
At the same time, Salamat told his mother that it was impossible to leave the Academy just like that, they had to pay $ 260 for each month spent within its walls. That is, over the past six months of training, the guy had to pay about $ 1600 to be expelled.
During the next session, Salamat decided not to pay. As a result, he was “flunked”, and they demanded to pay $ 300 at the retake.
In 2020, when quarantine began, the cadets were allowed to go home. However, they had to go home at their own expense. Then, the parents paid $ 240 for online tuition at the Academy, since there was a lockdown in the country.
Then, again at their own expense, the cadets went to military field training, but instead of exercises they were engaged in cleaning the territory and doing chores.
At the end of this summer, the cadets were called back to the Academy. Salamat didn’t want to go. He told his friends that he intends to transfer to another educational institution. But, since the guy has been studying at the Academy for two and a half years, he would have to pay more than $ 4.5 thousand to be expelled.
After leaving, Salamat wrote to his parents that he had decided to continue his studies and again began asking for money. However, this time he asked for much larger amounts than before – from $ 100 to $ 200. When the parents asked him about the situation, the guy replied that he had owed a large sum of money and needed to repay. The mother threatened to call the head of his course to find out what Salamat needed the money for. In response, the guy said, “If you raise this topic, then consider that I am no longer there.”
In addition, Salamat asked for money from his elder brother. At the same time, he wrote that if he didn’t receive the money, he would “be left without an arm or without a leg”.
On the day of his death, Salamat also wrote to his brother, asking him for $ 700. At the same time, the guy clarified, “if he doesn’t receive this money, then his relatives will no longer see him.”
On December 15, the body of Salamat, accompanied by two officers of the Academy, was taken to Uralsk. The boy was buried on December 16.
“In connection with the death of Salamat Utegenov, the cadet of the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Almaty named after Makan Esbulatov, the police department of Almaty is conducting a pre-trial investigation under the article ‘incitement to suicide’, during which all the arguments of the relatives of the deceased will be checked,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan said in its official statement. A comprehensive check was assigned, including the educational process, living conditions, moral and psychological climate, financial and economic activities of the Academy. “Employees of the departments of internal audit, personnel policy and own security of the Ministry have been sent to the educational institution. Similar inspections, on behalf of Minister Erlan Turgumbaev, will be carried out in the 1st quarter of 2021 in all educational institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
