Kazakhstan: high-ranking military man was convicted for bribe
The military court of the garrison of Akmola found the former head of the personnel and military education department of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, Major General Kairat Kopbaev, guilty of accepting a bribe and sentenced him to five years in prison.
The chief personnel officer of the Ministry of Defense was detained on January 27 this year in one of the capital’s shopping and entertainment centers. The Anti-Corruption Service of Kazakhstan reported then that Major General Kopbaev was suspected of taking a bribe in the amount of $ 530. Allegedly, the Major General received this money for assisting in the employment of his friend’s nephew. However, it was not possible to render a service, and Kopbaev decided to return the money. It was when this money was returned that the General was detained by the fighters against corruption.
It should be noted that in February, it was reported that the trial of Kopbaev, who was at that time under house arrest, would be held in a reduced mode, since the suspect admitted his guilt and was ready to conclude a procedural agreement. However, the criminal case of the former head of the personnel department was received by the Military court of the garrison of Akmola only in August. Judging by the statements of the defense, Kopbaev did not admit his guilt. Moreover, being under house arrest, Kopbaev wrote a complaint to the Prosecutor General’s Office, in which he stated that he confessed his guilt under pressure from the investigation. After that, by the way, the measure of restraint was changed to him – detention in custody.
As the lawyers reported at the beginning of the trial, the accusation is based solely on the testimony of the General’s friend Almas Bekbauov, who voluntarily confessed and told the anti-corruption officials that he had paid Kopbaev to employ his nephew.
However, according to the defense, Kopbaev only lent this money to Bekbauov to buy air tickets.
“We move to dismiss the indictment and terminate the criminal case, because no research or evidence is required in the case, since significant procedural violations have been committed related to forgery of documents in the criminal case. Initially, the persecution of Kopbaev was illegal, it was aimed at finding by any means and methods an evidence that Kopbaev was allegedly committing some corruption crimes,” General’s lawyer Kanat Sarsembayev said at the time.
However, the Military court of the garrison of Akmola, having studied the case materials, concluded that Major General Kopbaev was guilty of the crime incriminated to him and sentenced the chief personnel officer of the Ministry of Defense to five years in prison with life deprivation of a right to hold positions in public service. In addition, the court will make a submission addressed to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan on depriving Kopbaev of the military rank of Major General and the order “Kurmet”.
