Almaty Region Official Accused of Land Fraud

A large-scale fraud scheme involving land misuse has been uncovered in Almaty Region, Orda.kz reports.

According to Daniyar Bigaydarov, official representative of the Anti-Corruption Service (Antikor), the case involves the head of the Department of State Property and Privatization.

Investigators allege that the suspect, in coordination with Qarasay District Akimat officials, illegally changed the intended purpose of land plots to profit from their resale.

To make the land plots liquid and to extract significant criminal income from their sale, the suspect, with the assistance of officials of the local executive bodies of the Qarasay district, changed their intended purpose without paying the difference in cadastral value. The damage to the state exceeded one billion tenge,
 Bigaydarov clarified at a briefing.

According to Antikor, the accused also laundered the stolen funds through purchases of real estate and vehicles.

The suspect is currently in custody and has been placed in a temporary detention facility.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov