Kazakhstan: employees of the Ministry of Defense are accused of corruption
The Anti-Corruption Agency of Kazakhstan reported information on high-profile corruption crimes being investigated, which include fabulous amounts.
So, one of the investigations is conducted against employees of the Ministry of Defense. According to the investigation, officials from the main department for cantonment of the armed forces of Kazakhstan are suspected of embezzlement of budget funds worth more than $228 000.
“These funds were allocated for the construction of the complex building of a separate radar signal company in the city of Zhezkazgan,” the Anti-Corruption Department said. “Theft was carried out by signing acts of completed work for actually outstanding works.”
In Kyzylorda region, a pre-trial investigation is being conducted against officials of the Regional Health department. They are suspected of stealing budget funds in 2019 – about $280 000 through the purchase of overpriced medical devices from a number of private companies.
A high-profile investigation is also underway in Almaty region. A number of officials, including the vice-mayor of Enbekshikazakh district, have become defendants.
“A pre-trial investigation has been launched against the former deputy mayor of Enbekshikazakh district of Almaty region and the former chief specialists of the Apparatus of the mayor of Panfilov rural district of Talgar region on suspicion of participation in an organized criminal group,” the Anti-Corruption Agency reported.
According to preliminary results of the investigation, an organized criminal group was led by the former mayor of Panfilov rural district. The organized criminal group was engaged in the illegal removal of land from the state land fund in Talgar region. These lands, as well as part of the land plot of Almaty airport, were then sold for the construction of residential facilities. In total, 191 land plots were sold, with a total area of more than 12.7 hectares.
Last December, on one of these subsequently built up areas, Fokker-100 airplane of Bek Air company collided with a two-story building.
On December 27, 2019, after taking off, Fokker-100 lost altitude, fell to the ground and went ahead a certain distance, broke through a concrete fence and crashed into a two-story house. As a result of this crash, 12 people died, another 52 people received injuries of varying severity.
The investigation of this incident led to the identification of fraud with land plots, the sale of which was illegal, because a part of these lands was in the closed area.
