20 September 2024 | 16:09

Doctors, notary, and taxi driver on trial for organized crime in Almaty

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Tengrinews.kz - A high-profile trial is currently underway in Almaty, involving doctors, a notary, and a taxi driver. A total of 22 individuals are facing charges in this case.

The trial is being held at a specialized inter-district court for criminal cases. According to the prosecutor, the case includes 37 episodes, though only a portion involves the doctors. The defendants allegedly targeted lonely pensioners or vacant apartments, re-registering them and selling them at reduced prices.

The court heard testimony from the notary and her associate, both accused of fraud. The notary explained that they operated by identifying abandoned properties, formalizing the documents, and selling them to share the profits.

"The scheme was proposed by R. He came up with the idea, saying there was an empty apartment that had been unoccupied for two years. I checked the database and found no heirs. We sold the apartment for 12 million tenge and split the money," the notary recounted.

Her associate corroborated that he found abandoned apartments, which they then sold together. However, they did not disclose how they identified these properties or obtained the original documents.

One of the many victims, Tatyana Firstova, shared her experience. She revealed that her former father-in-law's apartment was illegally transferred and sold in a similar manner.

"We accidentally found an advertisement in the newspaper stating that a person had died and that heirs were being sought. When I approached notary M. (the accused), the apartment had already been sold to a fraudulent heir, and I was denied the continuation of the case. The notary obstructed my efforts, insisting I prove our relation. When I finally gathered all the evidence, she claimed there was a will, which turned out to be fake. This case has been ongoing for three years. Investigations revealed that many properties were involved in similar fraudulent documentation, indicating an organized crime group, and all participants in our case are linked to other cases," she explained.

The defendants face charges of participating in an organized crime group, fraud, and even kidnapping. Notably, the accused doctors have yet to be questioned in court.

Given the complexity of the case, it is expected to take a considerable amount of time to reach a conclusion.

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