The Interdistrict Criminal Court of Shymkent is hearing a case in which the former head of SCE «KUATZHYLUORTALYK-3» Perdebay Sabitov, former heads of the Department of Energy and Infrastructure Development of Shymkent Nurlan Zhamankoz, Baken Makulbekov and Ötegen Akhmet, as well as directors of firms and companies engaged in construction and the energy business – Dias Bakharami and Raikhan Andabayeva – are in the dock.
As reported by Ratel.kz, they are accused of embezzlement or misappropriation of entrusted property using their official position, as well as the legalisation (laundering) of money or property obtained through criminal means. At the same time, they are suspected of issuing fictitious invoices.
According to the investigation, from 2021 to 2022, funds were allocated from the state budget for the repair of electrical networks of SCE «KUATZHYLUORTALYK-3». However, an expert opinion from 2023 indicates that when preparing the estimate documentation, the project administrators, having unjustifiably inflated prices, spent 1,042,221,633 tenge. At the same time, the cost of unfinished work amounted to 11,577,960 tenge.
The main customer for the repair work was the Department of Energy and Infrastructure Development of Shymkent. From there, the money was redirected to SCE «KUATZHYLUORTALYK-3», which, in turn, hired subcontracting organisations.
It is reported that none of the accused admits guilt. The subcontractors claim that they did not sign any contracts with the officials for the supply of goods necessary for the repair of the electrical networks.
As a result, the court has already ordered a fourth expert examination – a construction-economic and a forensic handwriting analysis – to establish whose signatures are on the documents.
It is noted that, taking into account the severity of the charges brought, Sabitov, Zhamankoz, Akhmet and Bakharami have been placed in pre-trial detention and are brought to court under escort. At the same time, Makulbekov is on bail, and Andabayeva is under a written undertaking not to leave the area and to behave appropriately.