A former representative of Swiss universities Hotel Institute Montreux (HIM) and Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS) in Kazakhstan, Assylbek Saparov, is attempting to initiate an investigation into corruption cases involving the Bolashak International Programmes Centre (IPC). 
According to the Telegram channel Halyqstan, these educational institutions had been partners of the Bolashak programme since 2014 and accepted applicants for the specialisation of tourism.
In 2016, Assylbek Saparov discovered that the IPC was sending students to Switzerland bypassing the programme, while still claiming state budget funds for them. According to him, the university management was also involved in this scheme.
"The cost of tuition was inflated. The market rate was $5-6 thousand, but instead they invoiced $15 thousand. Because $8-10 thousand had to be paid to someone. The prices they quoted simply do not exist," he said.
Saparov claims that over several years, millions of dollars may have been embezzled through these 'ghost' students. He stated that he had contacted local authorised bodies to look into the situation, but after unsuccessful attempts to move the case forward in Kazakhstan, his complaint was accepted by the Swiss prosecutor's office.
However, to maintain regular communication with the investigative bodies of the foreign authority and to track the progress of the investigation, he now requires a postal address in Switzerland.
"There is different management at Bolashak now. Maybe they could help me set up a post box? Or our embassy in that country? I cannot just go there and register. So I am reaching out to people who can help me with this. For my second question, I want to contact our state bodies and lawyers in Kazakhstan who work on international cases. They can advise me. I have been on this path for over 10 years and, in principle, I do what I can. But this is a matter of state budget money, not my own," Saparov stated.
It will be recalled that in May 2024, an appeal from Natalya Vorobyova and Makpal Daribayeva appeared online, addressed to President Tokayev – these individuals had acted as guarantors for a former participant of the Bolashak programme. It emerged that because ex-scholarship holder Valeriya Gavrilenko is not in the country, the IPC could not recover her tuition debt from her. However, three years later, Bolashak presented the debt of nearly 30 million tenge to the guarantors instead.
Later, the Centre commented on the guarantors' statement, stating that by signing the agreement, Daribayeva and Vorobyova had assumed full responsibility for fulfilling all of the scholar's obligations.
In June, the parties in the case concerning the recovery of the Bolashak international scholarship reached a settlement. Valeriya Gavrilenko agreed to return 28.7 million tenge, which otherwise, according to the contract, would have had to be reimbursed by Daribayeva and Vorobyova.