Kazakhstan: thieving officials were left at large

In the capital of Kazakhstan, a trial in the case of sports officials, who were suspected of embezzling more than $ 5 million, has come to an end. Three defendants were found guilty of all the incidents incriminated to them, one more was found guilty of only one episode.

In March 2020, the Anti-Corruption Agency reported that it was investigating a criminal case into the theft of $ 5.1 million allocated for the development of sports and the promotion of the image of Kazakhstan. In particular, they talked about the sports club “Astana”, as well as its subdivisions – Astana Pro Team cycling team and Astana Motorsports.

As the head of the second department of the Anti-Corruption Agency Sergey Perov said at the briefing, the director of the sports club “Astana” Amanbek Kulchikov entered into a criminal conspiracy with the head of Astana Pro Team cycling team Lazzat Shamshieva and the head of Astana Motorsports Artur Ardavichus in order to implement a criminal scheme for embezzlement of 2 billion KZT allocated by the National Wellbeing Fund “Samruk-Kazyna”.

Perov also noted that in order to steal money, the trio entered into sham deals with foreign companies, and also signed fictitious acts on organizing training camps, renting premises, and purchasing inventory items.

Then it became known that Kulchikov and Shamshieva were in a pre-trial detention center, and Ardavichus was put on the international wanted list.

Meanwhile, Ardavichus said on social networks that he had nothing to do with these thefts and that he was absolutely not hiding.

“I haven’t been interrogated in the case. I wasn’t charged. I don’t know by whom and when the checks were initiated. The investigative body has reliable information about my whereabouts,” he wrote on his Instagram page.

On May 12, 2021, the press service of the city court of Nur-Sultan announced the completion of the trial in this case.

“Today, the court number №2 of Baikonur district of Nur-Sultan has announced a guilty verdict in a criminal case against the ex-executive director of the corporate fund “Presidential Professional Sports Club Astana” Kulchikov, the executive director of the private institution “Astana Pro Team cycling team” Shamshieva and other persons,” the message says.

As follows from the press release, the court found that Kulchikov and Shamshieva were accused of embezzling more than $ 300,000 intended for the development of cycling for two companies, by paying for air travel within the country and abroad, through an air travel agency, where they themselves were passengers, members of their families and others who have nothing to do with cycle racing.

“In addition, Kulchikov and Shamshieva, with the complicity of Altynai Chigitaeva (former chief accountant of the basketball club “Astana”), were accused of embezzling 700,000 euros by concluding a fictitious agreement between Astana Pro Team cycling team and a Czech company for the provision of services for organizing and conducting educational training camps and other sports events for Kazakh cycling teams. Kulchikov was also accused of embezzling more than $ 120,000 under the agreement with a private company to develop an electronic management system, develop a common website for the customer and his sports clubs. Lazzat Shamshieva was accused of embezzling with the complicity of businessman Kudaibergen Dikhanbaev the funds in the amount of more than $ 300,000, allocated for the supply of bicycles and spare parts for two companies, by conclusion of fictitious agreements in the period of 2017-2019 with El Partners,” the press service of the court reported.

It should be noted that the prosecutors asked to give to the defendants 8 years of imprisonment with lifelong deprivation of the right to hold leading positions in state and commercial organizations.

Shamshieva, Dikhanbaev and Chigitaeva were found by the court guilty of embezzlement of funds for all episodes. However, the court found Kulchikov guilty only of abuse of authority in the episode with air tickets, and in the other episodes, he was acquitted due to the absence of a criminal offense in his actions.

As a result, all the defendants remained at large. The court sentenced Kulchikov and Shamshieva to 7 years of restriction of freedom with life deprivation of the right to hold leading positions in state and other organizations.

Two other defendants in this case received a similar term, but with a conditional clause.

“The court took into account that the defendants were being brought to criminal responsibility for the first time, the material damage had been fully compensated, and also that Kulchikov has minor children. With regard to Shamshieva, sincere repentance and compensation for damage in full, as well as the role and degree of participation in the crimes committed by each defendant,” the court explained.

It’s worth recalling that the Presidential Professional Sports Club “Astana” was created on the initiative of the first President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in December 2012. The main goal of creating the club was to enter the world sports space by accumulating the abilities and efforts of the leading local sports teams, as well as to popularize a healthy lifestyle and develop high-performance sports.

The sports projects of Kazakhstan such as the world-class professional cycling team “Astana Pro Team”, the football club “Astana”, the hockey club “Barys” and the basketball club “Astana” are performing under the club’s banners.