Health Department Demands Compensation in Procurement Case, Lawsuit Also Names Manat Sarbasov

The Shymkent City Court is continuing hearings in the case of purchasing medical masks and equipment at inflated prices, Orda.kz reports.

The Health Department has filed a motion to be recognized as a civil plaintiff and is demanding damages of 92 million 916 thousand tenge from all defendants, including the former head of the 10th Department of the National Security Committee of Shymkent, Manat Sarbasov.

Background of The Case

According to investigators, medical masks and equipment were bought at inflated prices in 2020, causing financial losses to the state. Prosecutors argue that Sarbasov, who oversaw the healthcare sector, was aware of procedural violations but failed to intervene.

Defense lawyers maintain that Sarbasov’s involvement is questionable. They argue that he was not an employee of the Health Department and had no direct authority over procurement. The defense also stresses that the prices did not exceed the ceilings set by the Ministry of Health, and therefore, accusations of overpricing are unfounded.

Health Department’s Claim

The Health Department’s representative pointed out that Sarbasov was responsible for overseeing the health sector and should have identified the violations but remained silent.

In my claim, I indicated that the damages should be collected jointly and severally from all participants, including Sarbasov,
the lawyer said.

She added that misuse of budget funds had taken place.

The department is thereby seeking recognition as the injured party, with damages to be recovered from all those involved.

Expert Findings

A forensic commodity examination compared the purchase prices with the market value at the time and confirmed that the goods were significantly overpriced. While formal pricing rules were not violated, the experts concluded that the contracts were economically unjustified and caused losses to the state.

During the investigation, the charges against Sarbasov were modified.

Initially, he was accused of theft as part of a group, but later the case was reclassified under “Inaction of the authorities.”

Original Author: Alexandra Kim