Almaty Court Sentences 22 in Criminal Network That Targeted Psychiatric Patients for Real Estate Fraud and Homicide

In Almaty, a trial has ended in a high-profile case involving an organized crime group that was involved in kidnappings, homicides, and real estate fraud of patients in a psychiatric hospital, Orda.kz reports.

The court found 22 people guilty, including doctors, notaries, law enforcement, real estate agents, and forensic experts.

According to the investigation, the members had been taking apartments from vulnerable patients of the Almaty Mental Health Center for several years. Using forged documents, the real estate was re-registered to fictitious people and sold at reduced prices.

In some cases, the victims became victims of violent crimes - they were illegally confined in the hospital, and some were killed.

The group included high-ranking employees of the Center for the Prevention of Cruelty to Women, notaries, realtors, district police officers, and even forensic experts who forged documents. Irina Gaparova, Ashirali Boltaboyev, and former district police officer Auelkhan Satayev were recognized as the organizers.

The defendants were sentenced as follows:

• Irina Gaparova – 18 years of imprisonment. Organization and management of an organized crime group, homicide, fraud, document forgery
• Ashirali Boltaboyev – 17 years in prison. Same charges
• Auelkhan Satayev (former district police officer) – 16 years of imprisonment
• Takhir Urazayev (husband of doctor Mayra Urazayeva) – 16 years in prison for kidnapping and homicideing a patient
• Mayra Urazayeva (former head of the department of the Central Psychological Center) – 10 years of imprisonment.
• Aizhan Dzhusupgaliyeva (former head of the first department of the Central Penitentiary Service) – six years of imprisonment
• Gaziza Yeshmuratova (former head of the department of the Almaty Regional Center for Medical and Social Rehabilitation) – three years of imprisonment
• Rahima Li-li-Zo – 12 years of imprisonment. Repeat offender, forged documents
• Tatyana Grushina – 11 years of imprisonment. Followed the kidnapped patients
• Ekaterina Ovcharova – 11 years of imprisonment. Assistant to a private judicial enforcement officer
• Kanat Sibanbayev (driver, previously convicted) – 5 years and 6 months in a maximum security facility
• Khosrov Gasanov – 11 years of imprisonment. Gulnar Miyatova (notary) – six years of imprisonment
• Gulnar Miyatova (notary) – six years of imprisonment
• Zubaira Amirova (notary) – six years of imprisonment
• Zhanat Sartbayev (notary) – seven years of imprisonment
• Zhanat Dzheksembiyev (KNB guard) – five years' imprisonment for fraud
• Asyl Asanbaeva (realtor) – seven years of imprisonment and a fine of 50 MCI
• Vitaly Kolesnikov (forensic expert) – four years of imprisonment
• Manap Tynybaev (district inspector of the Turksib district) – six years of imprisonment
• Rashiddin Semyatov (repeat offender, previously convicted of fraud) – seven years' imprisonment
• Nikolai Kerov (repeat offender, previously convicted of similar crimes) – six years of imprisonment in a maximum security facility
• Denis Artyushenko – five years of imprisonment

Investigations are ongoing into two homicides and cases of forgery of government documents involving employees of the state archives.

Original Author: Aliya Askarova