Akim Sentenced Over Flooding of 19 Homes in Aqmola Region

In the Aqmola region, a rural district akim has been held accountable for his role in flood damage that left 19 homes underwater, Orda.kz reports.

The Atbasar District Court found Kairat Kozhakhmetov, akim of the Sergeevka rural district, guilty of negligence resulting in serious consequences.

According to the court, Kozhakhmetov failed to properly carry out his duties, which led to the collapse of a dam and the flooding of homes and land in the village of Samarka. The damages totaled eight million tenge — compensation that was later paid to victims from the local budget.

Taking into account mitigating circumstances — including Kozhakhmetov’s young children, lack of prior convictions, and the fact that the offense was committed through negligence — the court sentenced him to one and a half years of restricted freedom under probation.

He was also banned from holding civil service positions. The verdict has not yet come into legal force. The issue of compensation for damages will be handled separately in civil court.

Kozhakhmetov later responded on social media, calling the accusations unjust.

I didn’t stand aside. All the work, from notifications to evacuations, was done jointly before the emergency was declared in the district. But now I’m being accused. I don’t deny responsibility for my duties, but the charges brought against me are unfair,he said in a statement. 

Earlier, residents of a village in the North Kazakhstan region also demanded the resignation of their Akim after severe flooding.

Original Author: Artem Volkov