A court case has begun in Atyrau concerning the theft of more than 6 billion tenge during the reconstruction of the «Astrakhan – Mangyshlak» main water pipeline. Among the accused is a top manager of KazTransOil JSC, Berik Salpek, who headed Magistralny Vodovod LLP from 2022 to 2024. Alongside him in the dock are four other people, including the deputy director of Magistralny Vodovod, Askar Kultumiyev.
According to the Telegram channel «Kozachkov offside», the main water pipeline connects the Kigach River (Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation) with the Atyrau and Mangystau regions, providing fresh water to the areas. In 2020, the national company KazTransOil allocated over 17 billion tenge for the reconstruction of the canal, with ASK Kurylys-Kompaniyasy LLP acting as the project contractor.
According to the investigation, the contractor purchased pipes from a Russian manufacturer at a reduced price, but included calculations based on the price list of a domestic supplier in the project estimate documentation, inflating the cost by nearly 6.5 billion tenge. An expert examination established that part of the funds was diverted through fictitious transactions with affiliated companies.
Special prosecutors claim that Berik Salpek used the contractor's funds for personal purposes, including paying for air travel totalling around 5 million tenge and transferring 11 million tenge to an unknown individual.
It is noted that the investigation materials were previously returned by the court to the prosecutor's office due to procedural violations.
Despite the severity of the charges, the defendants in the case remain free: Askar Kultumiyev continues to work as deputy director of Magistralny Vodovod LLP, and in the spring of 2024, Berik Salpek was appointed Managing Director for Commerce at KazTransOil JSC.
The trial continues. A verdict has not yet been reached.
To remind readers, sources for the FB RK reported in January of this year that the Prosecutor General's Office was investigating a case of billion-tenge theft during the replacement of the «Astrakhan – Mangyshlak» pipeline, and that Berik Salpek was a suspect in the case. It was noted that the project was completed in December 2023, increasing the pipeline's capacity from 110 to 170 thousand cubic metres per day. Questions about financial transparency arose later, in November 2024.
Furthermore, it became known about another corruption scheme during procurement at Magistralny Vodovod LLP.
It was reported that in 2023-2024, the company entered into contracts with Aleks-Asu LLP for the maintenance and disposal of computer equipment worth over 140 million tenge, but the work was not actually carried out, despite signed reports and payment having been made.
The procurement was overseen by the chief manager of the automated process control system department, Daniyar Zhailaubayev. According to information from our sources, a special commission established on this matter confirmed that damage had been caused, the assessment of which requires an independent audit. However, it was noted that the inspection has currently been suspended, and the extent of the damage has yet to be determined.
It is assumed that the key figure in the case remains Berik Salpek. According to available data, he is the main beneficiary of all illegal procurement operations, receiving funds from Aleks-Asu LLP via Zhailaubayev.