Auditors Uncover Misuse of Finances at Mineral Processing Research Center in Almaty

Significant financial violations have been uncovered at a research institute under the Ministry of Industry and Construction—the RSE "National Center for Integrated Processing of Mineral Raw Materials," Orda.kz reports.

The findings emerged from an audit conducted by the Department of Internal State Audit for Almaty, which examined the use of budget funds and assets totaling 188.9 million tenge.

The most serious infraction involved the unjustified payment of wages and bonuses to employees who were not working. In 2024, overpayments amounted to 14.2 million tenge.

Auditors also flagged additional procedural violations totaling 34.4 million tenge, including:

• Lack of employment contracts with three remote workers (3.7 million tenge in damages)
  
• Excessive working hours logged by three employees (12.7 million tenge)
  
• Improper expenses for preparing tender documentation under a scientific-technical program (18 million tenge)

Following the inspection, the audit body issued a directive to correct the violations.

Officials say the matter of holding those responsible to account is under review, and all materials have been handed over to the appropriate authorities.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov