(20 February 2026 | Source: press service of the Agency for Financial Monitoring of the Republic of Kazakhstan)
A court in the Turkestan region has sentenced 14 individuals found guilty of systematically embezzling budget funds in the education sector. According to case materials, 18 employees, including managers and accountants, were involved in the scheme, using forged documents and inflated payroll figures.
HOW THE SCHEME WORKED
The investigation was carried out by the Department of the Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM) for the Turkestan region. Case materials state that accounting staff entered false data into electronic systems and payroll sheets, including fictitious individuals and inflated salaries. A package of forged documents, including internal memos, orders, payroll records, and timesheets, was used to process the transactions.
Funds were transferred to bank accounts of front persons, including relatives and acquaintances, and were then distributed among the scheme's participants in agreed-upon shares.
SCALE OF THE CASE
The case involves 49 schools in the Baidibek district. The total amount of damage amounted to 583 million tenge. Case materials indicate that the damage has been fully compensated.
COURT DECISION
The court imposed sentences on 14 convicted individuals — ranging from 3 to 7 years in prison. Criminal proceedings against four other individuals have been discontinued due to an amnesty. The verdict has entered into legal force.