Embezzlement Probe in Kokshetau: Officials Accused of Stealing KZT 170 Million from Embankment Project

An official from the housing and utilities sector along with an entrepreneur are suspected of embezzling 170 million tenge. This money was intended for the construction of an embankment in Kokshetau, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the former head of the city's housing and utilities department and the owner of PavlodarEnergoMontazh LLC stole money allocated for the construction of an embankment from the old airport to the city's blood transfusion service center.

The suspects' actions are qualified under Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan: embezzlement of property on an especially large scale. The penalty under this article provides for a punishment of up to 12 years' imprisonment with confiscation of property,
 explained the Aqmola region prosecutor's office.

All suspects were taken into custody. One of the detainees had his criminally acquired property seized: commercial real estate in Astana worth 95 million tenge.

In order to conceal the theft committed, part of the work on the embankment project was carried out using funds stolen from another construction project in the city of Atbasar. In this regard, the actions of one defendant were additionally qualified under the article on the legalization (laundering) of money obtained by criminal means. This is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property,
the prosecutor's office said in a press release. 

The criminal case is currently in its final stages. It will soon be sent to court.

Original Auhtor: Dinara Bekbolayeva