Former Culture Department Head on Trial in Astana

Bolat Mazhagulov, the former head of the Department of Culture, is being tried in the Astana inter-district criminal court, an Orda correspondent reports.

He faces charges concerning budget fund embezzlement on an especially large scale – more than a billion tenge.

The funds were intended to construct the infamous "Sun" fountain in the capital.

Businessman and director of a construction company, Madi Kanapin, is also in the dock.

He is accused of aiding and abetting the crime. Unlike the main defendant in the criminal case, Kanapin was not arrested but released on bail. 

Bolat Mazhagulov requested house arrest. However, the court dismissed it, as he could attempt to flee Kazakhstan.

The defendant Mazhagulov B.B. and his lawyer Beisekeyev N.A. supported the lawyer's motion and asked to change the measure of restraint to a written undertaking not to leave and proper behavior or to house arrest. The prosecutor and the lawyer of the defendant Kanapina M.S. asked to deny the motion, since Mazhagulov B.B. was charged with a serious offense, and his client Kanapina M.S. was charged with aiding and abetting the commission of a crime. In addition, Mazhagulov B.B. tried to hide during the investigation, did not show up for in-person questioning, and had tickets to fly abroad,
the court documents state. 

In September, the Financial Monitoring Agency discovered that more than a billion tenge was stolen during the construction of the fountain on the Yesil River. 

Bolat Mazhagulov, who was responsible for the construction and the head of the Astana Department of Culture at the time, was detained on suspicion of embezzlement.

As the investigation found out, the contracts for construction work were concluded without conducting public procurement.

The fountain was also built without drawing up design and estimate documentation and without undergoing state examination, and low-quality materials that did not meet technical specifications were used.

When the official was detained, the investigation discovered that he had several assets – the court seized his property worth 572 million tenge, including three commercial premises, two parking spaces, and premium apartments in Astana.

The Sun Fountain was built in 2016 and dedicated to Astana Day. However, a year after its launch, it stopped functioning. Over time, it rusted and fell into disrepair, and in 2024, the city authorities decided to dismantle it.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva