KNB Confirms Bribery Probe Against Shymkent District Police Chief

The National Security Committee (KNB) has officially confirmed a criminal investigation into the head of the police department of Shymkent’s Turan district and one of his subordinates.

The confirmation came in response to a request from Orda.kz.

We inform you that the National Security Committee is conducting a pre-trial investigation into the above incident. Other information is not subject to disclosure in accordance with Part 1 of Article 201 of the Criminal Procedure Code,
 the committee clarified.

On August 20, reports surfaced that KNB officers detained the district police chief along with an operative officer.

They are suspected of taking a bribe to reclassify a criminal case. The charges fall under Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan — “Receiving a bribe.”

An Unprecedented Case for Shymkent

According to local lawyer Talgat Yesimov, this is the first time in the city’s history that a district police chief has been detained on bribery charges.

In the history and practice of Shymkent, the detention of the head of the district police department is happening for the first time. This means that the new anti-corruption service under the KNB is reaching a new level,
 he noted.

In July, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev dissolved the former Anti-Corruption Service and transferred its functions to a newly created anti-corruption service within the KNB. The unit is now responsible for handling major bribery cases involving civil servants and security officials.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva