Former Qazaq Gaz Executive's Sentence Increased from 2.5 to 6 Years

In the Qyzylorda region, an appellate court has reviewed and substantially increased the sentence of the former deputy head of the Intergas Central Asia JSC Main Gas Pipeline Department, Orda reports.

The executive, previously sentenced to two and a half years for embezzlement, now faces six years in prison.

According to the Transport Prosecutor's Office, over two years, the convicted executive entered into contracts with contractors OrdaGlass LTD and HH&B Holding at inflated prices, misleading them regarding construction and installation costs and price increases for materials.

By abusing his official position, he embezzled 279 million tenge (approximately $620,000).

The former deputy head of Qazaq Gaz's profitable subsidiary inflated costs for building a backup gas supply pipeline to a glass factory, issuing fictitious work certificates.

Among the affected parties was OrdaGlass LTD, a company previously implicated in the corruption case of former Minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev.

The Transport Prosecutor's Office explained to Orda.kz that the executive was initially sentenced under Part 4 of Article 195 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Code, "Causing Property Damage by Deception or Abuse of Trust." 

However, following a protest by the transport prosecutor's office, the appellate court reclassified the case under Part 4 of Article 190, "Fraud," more than doubling the original term.

The state prosecutor of the main transport prosecutor's office proved his guilt in court. The convicted person was sentenced to six years of imprisonment with a lifelong ban on holding positions in the civil service and in the quasi-public sector.

The sentence has now entered into legal force.

Original Author: Alina Pak