Supreme Court Sends Former ANPZ Director Murat Dosmuratov’s Sentence for Re-examination

Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court has overturned Murat Dosmuratov's conviction and ordered a new trial following a protest by the Prosecutor General’s Office, Orda.kz reports.

Dosmuratov was the Atyrau Oil Refinery (ANPZ) general director and faced prosecution.

Background

In November 2024, Atyrau Court No. 2 found Dosmuratov guilty under Article 371, Part 2 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code for improper performance of official duties, which resulted in damage to the state amounting to nearly 2 billion tenge.

He was fined 6.9 million tenge and ordered to compensate the state for 1.97 billion tenge.

The case involved a contract Dosmuratov signed for the repair of heat exchange equipment, despite an existing warranty. The court ruled that the decision led to financial losses and constituted negligence.

Prosecutor General’s Objections

The Prosecutor General’s Office challenged the court’s findings, arguing that the equipment failure predated Dosmuratov’s appointment. According to documents from the manufacturer Alfa Laval, the malfunction was due to improper operation, not a defect covered by warranty.

Officials further stated that:

• The warranty had expired at the time of the new contract
  
• The repair decision was made collectively by technical experts and representatives from KazMunayGas
  
• The lower court failed to assess key evidence and did not question critical witnesses or explore the role of other officials

The decision to repair the equipment was made jointly, and this is documented. Yet the court gave no proper assessment to this evidence,  the Prosecutor General’s protest stated.

The protest called for the case to be dismissed entirely, claiming Dosmuratov’s actions did not constitute a criminal offense.

Supreme Court Ruling

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division found that the lower courts failed to conduct a full judicial review. The verdict noted that the courts did not weigh competing arguments or evaluate key testimony.

No assessment was made of the fact that similar equipment had previously failed, and warranty claims were not applied then either. This may point to systemic issues rather than individual fault, the ruling stated.

The Supreme Court concluded that the verdict was neither lawful nor well-founded.

The case was sent back to the Atyrau Regional Court for a new trial.

What Comes Next

The appellate court is now tasked with re-examining the case, including all evidence, documentation, and witness testimony. The court must determine whether Dosmuratov was personally negligent or caught in a broader technical and administrative situation beyond his control.

Original Author: Daniel Arturov