Agriculture Official in Kazakhstan Suspected of Illegal Bonus Scheme

The official is suspected of illegally awarding himself a bonus, Orda.kz's sources report.

The investigation believes that the former head of the Ulytau region's Department of Agriculture and Land Relations, Kairat Mutayev, illegally received bonuses through his subordinates. Having allegedly received a disciplinary sanction, he and his subordinate pocketed seven and a half million tenge.

The Anti-Corruption Service (Antikor - Ed.) has registered a criminal case. Along with Mutayev, his deputy Akbayan Seksenbaeva has also been placed under investigation,  the source reported.

We contacted the Akimat of the Ulytau region, where they reported that the official under investigation is no longer employed.

Kairat Mutayev held key positions in the agricultural sector, worked in the Ministry of Agriculture, and oversaw the processing of livestock products.

In July 2022, he was appointed head of the Ulytau regional agricultural department, dealing with land distribution and support for agricultural producers.

Incidentally, last year Antikor discovered corruption risks in agricultural land distribution. In particular, there were such violations as insufficient documentation for participation in competitions and manipulations in the distribution of plots.

For these violations, the deputy akim of the Zhanaarkinsky district and the head of the land relations department were subject to disciplinary action, Antikor reported in December 2024.

By law, civil servants with disciplinary action cannot receive bonuses.

Original Author: Islambek Dastan