KZT 21 Billion Recovered from Forestry Head over Fire

The Qostanay City Court has ordered compensation for damages from the former Basaman Forestry Head, who was responsible for a fire, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Qostanay Regional Court, in 2022, the Head illegally allowed private companies to harvest timber on the territory of a state institution.

One team's equipment, which was cutting down the forest, was faulty, and a fire broke out. The fire engulfed part of the Basaman forestry, spread to Semiozernoe, and partially affected the nearby villages of Amankaragay and Ozernoye.

The fire killed animals and destroyed more than 32,000 hectares of forest.

A criminal case was opened. The head was found guilty of abuse of authority, sentenced to four and a half years, and was banned from working in the civil service.

The Qostanay City Court considered and partially satisfied the corresponding claim: the former head was ordered to pay more than 21.4 billion tenge, including 18 billion to the regional budget and 326 million tenge to the district budget.

At the same time, the court did not collect part of the funds from his wife, who jointly owns the property with him.

The decision has not yet entered into legal force.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny