Former Atyrau Oil Refinery Chief Fully Acquitted After Review

The Atyrau Regional Court has fully acquitted former Atyrau Oil Refinery General Director Murat Dosmuratov, clearing him of charges of negligence, Orda.kz reports.

During a retrial, prosecutors found no evidence of a crime in Dosmuratov’s actions and formally requested the case be closed. The court granted the request, issued a full acquittal with rehabilitation, and offered an official apology on behalf of the state.

The accusations stemmed from an April 2022 shutdown of a paraxylene production unit due to a heat exchanger failure. The equipment manufacturer refused warranty replacement, citing improper operation caused by a typo in technical documentation.

At the time, plant management requested KazMunayGas fund a replacement.

Although Dosmuratov assumed the role three months after the breakdown — and a month after the decision to buy new equipment — he was accused of negligence that allegedly cost the plant about 2 billion tenge.

In November 2024, he was found guilty but spared punishment due to the statute of limitations, while still being ordered to pay 1.9 billion tenge. Appeals failed despite support from former and current refinery employees.

Following a protest by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Supreme Court overturned earlier rulings, citing factual inconsistencies, and sent the case back for review.

The regional court ultimately concluded that Dosmuratov had no control over the situation and bore no responsibility for the losses.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny