Accusations Surface: What is The Head of State Co. “Government for Citizens” Being Accused of?

In early October, an intriguing appeal appeared on the Facebook account "Staff of the central Office of the state corporation". Introducing themselves as employees of the internal security service of the "Government for Citizens", the letter’s authors put forth accusations against their superiors. They also claimed to know why fictitious driver's licenses are on the rise in Kazakhstan. Orda.kz looked into the matter.

According to the authors, the chairman of the Board of the NGO "GC "Government for Citizens”, Suyenish Abdildin, allegedly surrounded himself with those close to him. They are purportedly not considered to be qualified specialists. Companies affiliated with other persons mentioned in the post allegedly “provide services” for a bribe. They help take the theoretical exam on driving.

As soon as an Orda journalist began to look into the issue, "a person who knows firsthand what is happening” reached out to us. The self-proclaimed source did not identify themselves. They repeated everything that is indicated in the text, however, without providing convincing arguments. As the interlocutor clarified, one of the reasons for this behavior is "the fear of losing everything you have by crossing the patrons of a state–scale criminal scheme." 

Suyenish Abdildin, chairman of the Management Board of the NAO State Corporation Government for Citizens, while remaining in his position, surrounded himself with close people who are not qualified specialists, but can serve as vivid examples of irresponsibility, arrogance and corruption, the post says.

The director of the Department of Internal and Information Security of the NAO, Merey Sayekov, is among those mentioned. According to the post, he previously worked in the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Soon he was fired from the KNB with cause, or rather for an irresponsible attitude and absenteeism. Then, through his close friend and classmate, Sayekov got a managerial position in the NAO without relevant work experience. This clearly contradicts the established requirements for persons who were previously dismissed from the civil service for negative reasons, the post says.

The letter also mentions the security adviser, Simbat Ibragimov. The authors accuse him of various violations. They also say his high a salary does not match his skills (800 thousand tenge. Other employees of the department earn 150 thousand or more – Ed.)

"Ibragimov was appointed by the ex-chief of staff of the state corporation Kuandyk Kuatov. He executes all the latter’s requests and instructions: at the expense of the NAO, he went on business trips, where he often consumed alcohol. Among the team, Ibragimov does not enjoy authority, constantly engages in intrigues, squabbles, pits employees against each other. (...) During business trips, he informs the heads of branches that he wants to receive money for concealing information. Therefore, many of the identified offenses of the Symbat and Merey stopped being sent to law enforcement agencies. For example, in Almaty and Almaty region, violations were revealed during the inspection: more than 3,000 facts of illegal issuance of licenses and more than 100 facts of illegal vehicle registration. However, contrary to the current legislation, Sayekov and Ibragimov concealed it,”  the authors wrote.

According to Antikor’s official information, from 2020 to February 2023, the department investigated 18 criminal cases related to the illegal issuance of driver's licenses and foreign car registration. It turned out that about 60 thousand illegal actions were committed in these cases. This concerns Astana, Shymkent, Aqmola, Kostanay and Jambyl regions. 13 people were eventually held responsible.

So there is this enough cause for concern? 

Need a License?

The process of obtaining a driver's license:

• Training in traffic rules and practical car management
• Collecting the necessary certificates
• Submission of documents
• Passing exams and obtaining the license

Theoretical and practical exams are taken in buildings and on the territory of branches of the NAO "State Corporation "Government for Citizens". A positive assessment on the part theoretical of the exam is considered valid for three months. However, as of August 2023, the rules have changed.

The candidate will still have to undergo identification through biometric verification prior to the exam. However, now, if a person is unable to confirm their identity, then an act is immediately drawn up and they will be unable to take the exams for the next six months. The test used to be annulled, and the potential fraudster could come to retake the next day.

Data from video surveillance systems, according to the law, must be transferred to the situation center, the general waiting room of the branch of the Special training center where the exam takes place, and professional associations (driving schools) upon their request.

However, according to the Facebook post, in the spring of 2022, a certain company Qaz Testing appeared, which, as an intermediary, begins accepting a theoretical exam from the NAO, having implemented its own IT development – "traffic rules module 2.0.".

At first everything was fine, but then the growth of issued driver's licenses increased a lot. Instances of remote access to databases were revealed. Whatever the candidate did, he received a positive result thanks to outside intervention. Abdildin was aware of this, but did not take any action. To smooth out the situation and cover his tracks, he only changed the companies taking the exam. During the year, Qaz Testing has been alternately replaced by U-study, U-Future, Oi-Lan and Crystal mind test LLP, but they are all united by "module 2.0.". That is, they are all affiliated by one copyright,
  the authors noted.

Orda learned that these companies had indeed signed a contract with the NAO. The documents turned out to be strictly confidential, though. Why?

 

There is no company called Qaz Testing there. There is U-study LLP. Its “ties” led to U-Future, which conducts "auxiliary activities in the field of education for national companies and their subsidiaries." The company is on a special account, as it has a multimillion-dollar profit from almost a thousand state contracts.

The next company on the list, OI-LAN, is also engaged in providing services in the field of information services. Its head and founder is Syrym Ualiyev. The company has not paid a single tenge in taxes since its foundation in February 2023.

Crystal mind test is similar to OI–LAN: no tax since August 2023 and engaged in the same type of activity. Dauyr Kerimbek owns it, while managing another company – LLP "Center for Certification of pedagogical Qualifications "Talimger".

The following document is also in the database of the Kazakhstan Patent Office regarding the IT development of the "SDA module 2.0."

 

However, we could neither confirm nor deny his involvement in these companies.

Official Responses

Orda.kz reached out to the NAO "State Corporation "Government for Citizens", the KNB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry. We should note that we, for the most part, did not receive answers to our questions.

The KNB did however confirm that Merey Sayekov worked for them and was let go in 2022. They also added that they are not conducting a pre-trial investigation regarding the NAO employees’ post. The KNB referred to the fact that the media did not have access to the requested information.

The "Government for Citizens" also turned out to be tight lipped. They noted that hiring is done in accordance with the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the requirements of internal regulatory documents. They say there were no exceptions in relation to Sayekov and Ibragimov, who were previously cleared.

The situations described in the anonymous post have not been confirmed, reads the official response to our request.

But from the response of the officials of the Ministry of Finance, it follows that no official (not anonymous) complaints from the NAO team on the circumstances indicated in the letter were received.

Regarding the choice of the information system used within the State Corporation and a particular service provider: this issue relates to the operational activities and internal processes of the State Corporation,  the officials of the Ministry of Finance put an end to the communication.

The response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had not been received at the time of publishing this article.

A veil of secrecy continues to drape over the state corporation. Orda.kz will continue to follow the situation.

Original Author: Alexander Smolin

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. Please refer to the original piece in Russian for accuracy.