In the Pavlodar region, a verdict was announced for the former head of the Yertis Ormany Nature Reserve.
According to the MIA "Kazinform", he was found guilty of accepting bribes, embezzlement, abuse of official position, as well as leading an organised criminal group.
In addition to the head of the reserve, three of his subordinates and one individual who acted as an accomplice in the theft of timber were also in the dock.
Ultimately, the court found the official guilty and sentenced him to 12 years in prison with a lifetime ban from holding positions in the civil service. Three former employees of the reserve received 10 years in prison each, and the accomplice was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
At the same time, the convicts had property confiscated in the form of vehicles: a Toyota Land Cruiser, a KAMAZ, a Chevrolet Cobalt, and a Niva. The court also upheld a claim for compensation for material damage totalling 120 million tenge.
For context, in July last year, it became known that an organised criminal group led by the general director of the Yertis Ormany reserve was suspected of stealing timber through the illegal sale of wood under the guise of technological and fuel firewood. The damage to the state exceeded 150 million tenge.
In September, the chairman of the committee for forestry and wildlife of the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources signed an order banning all types of logging in the Yertis Ormany Nature Reserve for 5 years.