The Department of the Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) for the East Kazakhstan Region has completed an investigation into the management of JSC "Ust-Kamenogorsk Airport". The suspects are accused of abuse of official powers, embezzlement of entrusted property on an especially large scale, as well as the legalisation of criminally obtained money.
According to the press service of the agency, over a period of 5 years, the former president and other officials of the airport organised the embezzlement of money by inflating salaries, making fictitious bonuses, and signing sham contracts. The stolen sums were subsequently cashed out through the cash desk.
"The company's vehicles were removed from the balance sheet and sold to affiliated persons at a price many times lower than their market value," the statement said.
Furthermore, law enforcement officers uncovered instances of leasing the airport's commercial property on preferential terms: at reduced rates and with a reduction in the size of the leased area. The total damage to the state amounted to 157 million tenge.
By court order, assets belonging to the suspects worth 126 million tenge — 4 apartments, a land plot, and 2 cars — were seized. The suspects in the case have been placed in custody.
It is worth recalling that last August in Astana, a sentence was passed on the deputy head of a customs post at the capital's international airport. She was accused of accepting a bribe from a female citizen who was convicted of importing undeclared medical drugs and gold items valued at 57 million tenge.