New head of Kazakhstan financial police instructed to suppress financing of extremists and terrorists

New chairman of Kazakhstan Agency for Countering Economic and Corruption Crime Rashid Tusupbekov was introduced on Monday, January 23, to the financial police officers, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the press-service of the Financial Police. Tusupbekov thanked Nursultan Nazarbayev for his trust and noted this he would use all his knowledge and experience to perform his duties. “The chairman has set the task for the financial police officers to tackle activities of dishonest entrepreneurs and embezzlement of budget funds by officials, fight money laundering and corruption, detect and suppress financing of destructive activities of illegal public associations, extremist and terrorist organizations both from foreign and local sources,” the press-service writes. Tusupbekov also instructed to stop groundless checks of small and medium business, as well as indiscriminate corruption accusations of the state workers. “If small and medium business is the basis of the country's economy, the state workers are the anchors of the country. And we have to always remember that,” he said. “Countering corruption will start from cleansing of our own employees. The employees who are planning to further abuse their powers for personal benefits will no longer work in the financial police bodies.” On January 20 Kazakhstan President signed a decree appointing Rashid Tusupbekov chairman of Kazakhstan Agency for Countering Economic and Corruption Crime. Earlier he worked as Justice Minister. Tusupbekov replaced former head of the Financial Police Kairat Kozhamzharov, who was appointed Akim (Governor) of Akmola Oblast.