Prosecutors Seek Harsher Sentence for Ex-Culture Vice Minister Yerlan Kozhagapanov
Photo: Primeminister.kz
The Astana Court of Appeal is continuing to hear the case of former Vice Minister of Culture of Kazakhstan Yerlan Kozhagapanov, Orda.kz reports, citing Kursiv Media.
Currently serving three years in prison for abuse of office, Kozhagapanov faces a push from prosecutors to increase his sentence to seven years. Prosecutor Aktore Berikov has also called for a lifetime ban from public office and the revocation of two state awards — the Bauyrzhan Momyshuly Order of Aibyn, 2nd degree, and the Qurmet Order.
The prosecution further demands that Kozhagapanov and his co-defendant, businesswoman Lyazzat Kokkozova, repay roughly 1.9 billion tenge in damages, while maintaining the seizure of the former official’s assets.
Kozhagapanov was detained in March 2024 by the Anti-Corruption Service. Investigators allege that in 2018, he lobbied for a private company’s interests in securing a contract to organize the XV Interregional Forum of Cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia, inflating costs to steal about one billion tenge in budget funds.
Following a five-month trial, the Astana Criminal Court sentenced him on May 9 to three years in prison, while Kokkozova received five years.
Original Author: Raushan Korzhumbekova
Latest news
- Zhezkazgan Airport Resumes Operations After An-12 Emergency Landing
- Middle East Escalation Disrupts Kazakhstan–Dubai Flights
- Three Rare Neolithic Burials Discovered in Kostanay Region
- Minister Promises Better Internet Access for Rural Areas
- Will Trump Visit Kazakhstan?
- Six-Lane Road to Almaty’s Ring Road Planned, Around 200 Land Plots Bought Out
- Housing Sales in Kazakhstan Rise 28% in One Month
- East Kazakhstan Residents Question Gas Station Restrictions on Fuel Canisters
- New Committee to Oversee Crypto Market and Payment System
- MFA Confirms Death of Young Kazakhstani Woman in Antalya
- Source of Shymkent Air Pollution Complaints Still Unclear
- Why Cheap Kazakh Gasoline Is Becoming a Regional Issue
- Southern Kazakhstan Records Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake
- Almaty Residents Oppose Covering City’s Open Irrigation Canals
- Where Are Incomes Highest in Kazakhstan After Almaty?
- Landfill Fire Breaks Out in Astana
- Qatari-Kazakh Gas Pipeline Project Gets Another $500 Million
- Russian City May Name Square After Tokayev’s Father
- Kazakhstanis Will Not Face New Loan Restrictions
- Dead Seals Found Near Aktau May Have Come From Iran, Officials Say
