Over $1.5 billion embezzled in Kazakhstan since 2013: Financial Police

Nearly 300 billion tenge ($1.6 billion) has been embezzled in Kazakhstan since 2013, Tengrinews reports citing the Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (Financial Police) in Kazakhstan Marat Akhmetzhanov.

At the briefing in Astana Akhmetzhanov said that in 2013 alone more than 10,000 corruption offences were discovered and investigated. During 5 months of this year more than 5,000 cases were discovered and are now being investigated or at various stages in court.

“Of these, 27 percent are heavy and especially grave crimes, 65 percent are economic crimes. More than 21 percent are corruption related. The money embezzled in 2013 and in the first five months of this year amounts to 290 billion tenge ($1.58 billion). Measures are already being taken to recover 157 billion tenge ($860 million)," he said.

According to the official data, nearly 300 officials of various ranks have been prosecuted for corruption during the period. Of them, 22 are senior officials of state level, and 83 officials are regional.

During the briefing Akhmetzhanov cited several high-profile cases. In particular, he mentioned the corruption cases involving the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, President of national space company Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary, former governor of Atyrau Oblast, as well as senior executives of major national companies like Kazatomprom and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

Reporting by Assel Satayeva, writing by Dinara Urazova

Nearly 300 billion tenge ($1.6 billion) has been embezzled in Kazakhstan since 2013, Tengrinews reports citing the Deputy Chairman of the Agency for Combating Economic Crimes and Corruption (Financial Police) in Kazakhstan Marat Akhmetzhanov.

At the briefing in Astana Akhmetzhanov said that in 2013 alone more than 10,000 corruption offences were discovered and investigated. During 5 months of this year more than 5,000 cases were discovered and are now being investigated or at various stages in court.

“Of these, 27 percent are heavy and especially grave crimes, 65 percent are economic crimes. More than 21 percent are corruption related. The money embezzled in 2013 and in the first five months of this year amounts to 290 billion tenge ($1.58 billion). Measures are already being taken to recover 157 billion tenge ($860 million)," he said.

According to the official data, nearly 300 officials of various ranks have been prosecuted for corruption during the period. Of them, 22 are senior officials of state level, and 83 officials are regional.

During the briefing Akhmetzhanov cited several high-profile cases. In particular, he mentioned the corruption cases involving the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, President of national space company Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary, former governor of Atyrau Oblast, as well as senior executives of major national companies like Kazatomprom and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

Reporting by Assel Satayeva, writing by Dinara Urazova

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