Qazseldenqorgau Branch Head Sentenced for Embezzling 2.7 Million Tenge

A court in the East Kazakhstan region has sentenced the head of the regional branch of the State Institution "Kazselezashchita" after finding him guilty of embezzling 2.7 million tenge, Orda.kz reports.

In October 2023, branch head Sovetbek Stanbekov arranged to hire an individual who did not actually perform any job duties but still received compensation.

The fictitious employee was supposed to cash out the money received as earnings and transfer it to Sovetbek Stanbekov for subsequent theft and use for personal purposes,
according to the case materials. 

To recruit someone for this scheme, Stanbekov turned to his colleagues. The head of the production and operational department for the Altay region, identified as Misyukov, suggested hiring his son-in-law, Tretyakov.

However, Misyukov was unaware that Stanbekov intended to use the position for embezzlement.

The fictitious employee remained on the payroll at Qazseldenqorgau from November 2023 to December 2024.

In court, Stanbekov claimed he acted out of necessity, arguing that the branch had not received sufficient funding and that he had to pay for equipment repairs out of his own pocket. He said the misappropriated funds were spent on Qazseldenqorgau's operational needs.

During the scheme, more than 2.7 million tenge were transferred to Tretyakov’s account.

The Oskemen court found Sovetbek Stanbekov guilty and sentenced him to three years in prison, along with a lifetime ban from holding public service positions.

The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

Original Author: Alexandra Mokhireva