The Department of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) of Shymkent has completed an investigation into the director of the State Municipal State-Owned Enterprise "Shymkent Zhastar Teatry" and other officials. They are suspected of embezzling budget funds totalling more than 136 million tenge.
According to the agency's press service, 320 million tenge was allocated from the state budget for the purchase of equipment for a concert at the theatre (speakers, subwoofers, a stage truss, amplifiers, microphones, and other items).
However, in breach of requirements, the institution's management carried out the procurement by artificially splitting the lots — into more than 20 items.
It is reported that the suspects used an electronic platform to conclude contracts with fictitious individual entrepreneurs who were not involved in the supply of the equipment.
It has come to light that, using the criminal proceeds, one of the defendants purchased a car and an apartment with a total value of 48 million tenge, and in order to conceal them, registered them in the names of trustees.
With court authorisation, a seizure was placed on the property. The suspects have been taken into custody.
It is worth recalling that in 2022, the Anti-Corruption Foundation investigated corruption schemes in the Department of Culture of Shymkent, including the theatre sector. At that time, the department's budget increased 12-fold during the pandemic — from 6 billion tenge in 2018-2020 to 37 billion tenge in 2021. Subordinate institutions, including theatres, were forced to submit requests for additional funding ranging from 20 to 50 million tenge.