30 Convicted in Kostanay Over 2.5 Billion Tenge Meat Subsidy Fraud
Photo: press service of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
A court in Kostanay has handed down sentences in a large-scale “meat case,” finding 30 people guilty of embezzling 2.5 billion tenge in state subsidies. Alexander Parkhomenko, director of the meat processing company Beef Export Group, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, Orda.kz reports.
According to the case materials, the scheme operated from December 2021 to June 2023. The subsidies were allocated for the development of livestock farming and meat processing, but investigators say the money was stolen at multiple levels.
The first episode involved the theft of nearly 1.2 billion tenge in investment subsidies for the construction of a meat processing plant. The state reimbursed 25% of costs on the condition that the plant process at least 1500 head of livestock per day. In reality, the court found that the plant did not meet that requirement and that supporting documents had been forged.
The second episode concerned the theft of more than 354 million tenge in subsidies intended for peasant farms. Farmers supplied livestock that did not meet the criteria, while plant employees allegedly falsified the paperwork. The subsidies were then split among those involved.
The third episode involved the theft of more than one billion tenge through so-called “dead souls.” Farmers received 8000–10,000 tenge for each fictitious head of cattle, while the rest of the money, according to the investigation, was taken by the plant.
Several other defendants also received prison terms. The director of another LLP was sentenced to 10 years, the plant’s accountant to nine years, the deputy director to seven years, and the heads of peasant farms to between five and 10 years. Some defendants received suspended sentences, while several others were released under an amnesty. One defendant died before sentencing, and the case against him was dismissed.
The court also ordered the confiscation of the plant and its equipment. In addition, $1.3 million and more than 600 million tenge from the company’s accounts were transferred to the state. The verdict has not yet entered into force.
Original author: Ruslan Loginov
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