Appeals Court Upholds Sentence for Ex-Vice Minister of Culture

The Astana appeals court has upheld the verdict against former Vice Minister of Culture Yerlan Kozhagapanov and businesswoman Lyazzat Kokkozova, Orda.kz reports.

Kozhagapanov was earlier sentenced to three years in prison for abuse of office in connection with the organization of the 15th Kazakhstan–Russia Cooperation Forum in 2018. Investigators said one billion tenge was embezzled from the state budget during the event.

Lyazzat Kokkozova, whose agency SUCCESS K handled the forum, was sentenced to five years for fraud.

The 2018 forum, attended by then-presidents Nursultan Nazarbayev and Vladimir Putin, resulted in a series of agreements, including changes to the Baikonur lease and border-crossing rules for residents of frontier regions.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva