High-Profile Corruption Trial Begins in Shymkent Involving Ex-Security Official

A high-profile corruption trial has opened in Shymkent. Among the accused are former intelligence officers, government officials, and entrepreneurs. Among them is Manat Sarbasov, the former First Deputy Head of the Shymkent branch of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee (KNB).

Sarbasov now faces a long list of serious charges, including fraud, bribery, money laundering, abuse of power, and criminal negligence, Orda.kz reports.

A Career Built on Influence

Sarbasov began his career in the national security services in 2004, rising from a KNB Academy student to a top post in Shymkent. He oversaw education and healthcare institutions — a position that gave him access to sensitive information, public funds, and broad influence.

According to investigators, as head of the 10th Department, Sarbasov began abusing that power as early as 2018, turning his office into a platform for systematic extortion and personal enrichment.

One of the key figures in the case is entrepreneur Elmira Duysenkyzy, founder of several colleges and the private Riana School in Shymkent. She first met Sarbasov in 2007, when he introduced himself as someone with "powerful connections" who could shield her businesses from inspections. Over time, she came to trust him.

In 2018, after control over regional colleges shifted from the Shymkent KNB to the Turkistan region, Sarbasov told Elmira she faced serious problems. He claimed that to avoid trouble, she needed to pay off other security officials — and that it would be easiest to route the payments through him.

He demanded 2.5 million tenge a month. In reality, he was pocketing the money.

Bigger Demands

Elmira also owned a private school called Riana, which received government funding. In reality, the school was part of a fraudulent scheme: on paper, students were enrolled and attending classes, but in practice, they weren’t.

The state continued to pay, and the money was pocketed.

Sarbasov knew about the scheme but didn’t intervene. Instead, he began taking bribes. 

He initially asked for 2.5 million tenge a month, later raising the amount to five million, and at one point, demanded 10 million, supposedly to buy real estate.

Sarbasov M.O., while serving as head of the 10th Department of the Shymkent National Security Committee, personally and through trusted intermediaries, received bribes from the founder of the Riana school, E. Duysenkyzy, and used the money at his own discretion,the indictment states. 

The payments were made in various ways — sometimes in person, other times through a driver, friends, or even Sarbasov’s wife.

Investigators say part of the money was used to purchase real estate, including two apartments registered under the names of Sarbasov’s father and his wife’s sister. Income from renting and reselling the properties was later deposited into bank accounts.

Using the bribe money, Sarbasov acquired:

• An apartment worth 15.8 million tenge (registered to his father)
• A penthouse worth 34 million tenge (registered to his wife’s sister)
• Additional profits of 15 million tenge from rental income and resale

One apartment was later sold for 77 million tenge. The proceeds were deposited and eventually grew to 92 million.

To hide his ownership of the property and the illicit origin of the funds, he had the apartment registered in his father’s name, the case materials state. 

A key moment in the case came when Duysenkyzy’s friend, unaware of the full scheme, handed over 10 million tenge to Sarbasov’s wife. This transfer would later become a crucial piece of evidence.

Everything changed in 2022 when Duysenkyzy herself came under investigation for embezzling state funds.

Feeling betrayed, she demanded part of her protection money back. Through her lawyer, she requested compensation, and in April 2022, Sarbasov quietly returned 15 million tenge in a hotel room, using intermediaries.

This triggered a new phase of the investigation. In October 2023, after Duysenkyzy filed an official complaint, authorities opened a case against Sarbasov. Investigators began tracking his calls, financial transactions, and property links.

A surprising twist involves blogger Assel Orynbek, who allegedly posed as a lawyer offering to help Duysenkyzy. Instead, she was reportedly in contact with Sarbasov and shared updates about the investigation using encrypted messaging apps. Her actions are now under scrutiny as well.

Kickbacks and Masks

In parallel with his other schemes, Sarbasov was also involved in a corruption network tied to the purchase of medical equipment. Working with deputy head of the city’s healthcare department, Timirlan Varzilov, official Chingis Dzhanabayev, and businessman Yerlan Tyshkanbayev, the group coordinated the supply of PCR equipment and protective masks through shell companies — all at inflated prices.

According to investigators, the group bought medical equipment at discounted rates and resold it to the state at a markup, bypassing public tenders. One device alone cost the budget 12.4 million tenge, while the market price was several times lower.

The total financial damage is estimated at over 100 million tenge.

A New Twist

Last year, Sarbasov figured prominently in another high-profile trial involving then–Deputy Akim of Shymkent, Maksut Isakhov. Isakhov was accused of offering Sarbasov a $200,000 bribe to halt a criminal investigation into city officials.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

The prosecutor’s office had initially dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence. But a new case was opened based on an audio recording, which had not undergone a full linguistic analysis, allegedly capturing the bribery attempt.

Isakhov has denied the charges from the beginning.

According to his version of events, Sarbasov was the one who initiated contact, demanding $500,000 and threatening to open a case. With Sarbasov now on trial himself, questions are emerging: Did he manipulate the Isakhov case to shield himself from scrutiny?

Sarbasov faces a string of serious charges under the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan:

• Article 190, p. 4, cl. 2 – Fraud on an especially large scale
• Article 367, p. 4 – Incitement to give a bribe
• Article 366, p. 4 – Receiving a bribe on an especially large scale
• Article 218, p. 1, 2, cl. 2 – Legalization of criminal proceeds
• Article 370, p. 4, cl. 1 – Abuse of official powers

The trial is scheduled to begin on May 16, 2025. Alongside Sarbasov, several health officials, businesspeople, and intermediaries are also facing charges.

Orda.kz will continue to follow the developments.

Original Author: Ulan Gapparov