The specialised inter-district court of Astana has delivered a verdict in the criminal case against the head of the charitable foundation "Biz birgemiz Qazaqstan", Perizat Kairat, and her mother, Gaini Alashbayeva. Kairat received 10 years' imprisonment, and Alashbayeva received 7 years for large-scale fraud and the legalisation of criminal proceeds.
As a reminder, state prosecutors had requested 10 years for Kairat and 8 years for her mother. The defendants were accused of fraud under the guise of helping children with disabilities, collecting funds for those affected in the Middle East, and victims of floods in Kazakhstan.
Perizat Kairat has been found guilty of large-scale fraud and the legalisation of criminally obtained income. The court sentenced her to 10 years' imprisonment in a medium-security facility. Gaini Alashbayeva was found guilty of complicity in the same crimes and received 7 years' imprisonment.
The charges were brought under three articles of the Criminal Code: large-scale fraud (para. 2, part 4, article 190), legalisation of criminal proceeds by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (para. 1, part 2, article 218), and large-scale legalisation (para. 3, part 3, article 218).
The charitable foundation "Biz birgemiz Qazaqstan" was liquidated during the investigation of the case.
The verdict handed down is significant for the charitable sector in Kazakhstan. The severe punishment should serve as a warning to those who exploit public trust for personal gain.
The case highlights the need for greater oversight of non-profit organisations and increased transparency in the use of charitable funds. Just punishment of the guilty will help restore public confidence in bona fide foundations.