The Department of the Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM) for the Pavlodar Region is conducting an investigation into a case involving a scheme of fictitious employment of pregnant women to illegally obtain social benefits.
According to the agency's press service, the head of the department of the State Centre for Pension Payments (SCPP) recruited her relative, an accountant who had access to the digital signatures of several entrepreneurs, to implement the scheme.
The accountant used the digital signatures without the knowledge of their owners and prepared orders for employment, payroll sheets, and other documents simulating legal employment.
According to the investigation, other individuals were also involved in the scheme. It is reported that acquaintances of the suspects sought out pregnant women and convinced them of the supposed legality of the arrangement, which allowed them to receive social benefits.
Based on the fictitious information, authorised state bodies allocated the benefits, after which the funds were distributed among the participants of the scheme.
According to the investigation, payments were made on behalf of 13 entrepreneurs to more than 50 pregnant women, with the amount of benefits for each exceeding 6 million tenge. The total damage to the state exceeded 200 million tenge.
By court order, the suspects' property has been seized, including three cars. The investigation is ongoing.
To recall, it was previously reported, that a resident of Shymkent used the digital signature keys of entrepreneurs to fictitiously employ pregnant women at enterprises. As a result of the illegal activity, the state suffered damage amounting to 217 million tenge.