August 4: Trial of Ex-KNB Officer Manat Sarbasov Moves to Witness Testimonies

The high-profile trial of former senior KNB officer Manat Sarbasov — accused of large-scale fraud, inciting the giving and receiving of bribes, and laundering illegally obtained assets — is being heard by a jury, Orda.kz reports.

Alongside Sarbasov in the dock are officials from the health department, a businessman, and another KNB officer. The case concerns inflated state procurements of medical equipment and supplies.

Investigators allege that in spring 2020, an organized criminal group formed within the Shymkent Health Department with the aim of stealing public funds allocated for medical equipment purchases.

According to the indictment, Sarbasov, then head of the 10th Department of the KNB in Shymkent, not only knew about the planned crime but “actually legalized it, promising the accomplices inaction on the part of the special services.”

He allegedly provided such protection to the deputy head of the health department and the head of the medical equipment division.

The prosecution also claims that Sarbasov personally took part in financing the scheme. Together with another KNB officer, he allegedly “transferred 15 million tenge to pre-finance the purchase of equipment, which was later delivered to medical institutions through controlled companies.”

In return, Sarbasov expected to get his investment back with profit — “in other words, he acted as an investor, which is strictly prohibited for employees of special state bodies.”

On August 4, the court heard testimony from Bakhytzhan Albayev, who served as head of the Shymkent Health Department from May to July 2020. Investigators say that although Albaev was not directly involved in the scheme, he signed documents prepared on the basis of memos and justifications provided by his subordinates.

These signatures became the legal basis for transferring funds to companies involved in the scheme.

In that period all issues of public procurement were handled by Chingiz Dzhanabayev, the head of the procurement department. His department was small, as I recall, and all the documentation went entirely through him. If he was hospitalized, then that was the case; if he was on outpatient care, meaning he opened sick leave in the polyclinic, then he was at work. We were all at work during that period. Who brought Protocol No. 7 for signature, I don’t remember, and I don’t remember the essence of this document at all, Albayev said in court.

Investigators allege that Dzhanabayev found affiliated companies through which overpriced medical equipment and PPE were purchased. He allegedly coordinated bid submissions, controlled the procurement commission’s work, and ensured the passage of necessary documents — enabling over 90 million tenge to be transferred to these companies.

The defense insists Dzhanabayev could not have signed Protocol No. 7 because he was on medical leave at the time.

Albayev also testified about meeting Sarbasov in 2020: “He came with his colleague, who introduced himself as an overseer in the field of medicine. Later, this curator visited the department once a week, and I saw Manat a couple more times.”

The court is continuing to examine the preparation and signing of key documents that legitimized the overpriced procurements. Protocol No. 7 remains one of the bases for transferring 30 million tenge to Medico KZ.

Orda.kz continues to monitor the trial.

Original Author: Alexandra Kim