Court No. 2 of Kostanay found former police captain Serik Sultanov guilty of accepting a bribe of 300,000 tenge. He was fined 9 million tenge and banned for life from holding positions in the civil service.
HOW THE INVESTIGATOR DEMANDED MONEY
As reported by «Nasha Gazeta», citing the published verdict, Sultanov was investigating a car theft case. The victims agreed to settle the conflict, but one of them demanded compensation for the damage. The suspect's common-law wife wrote a receipt undertaking to pay 500,000 tenge.
The investigator knew that the criminal case could be closed under the Law «On Amnesty in Connection with the Adoption of the New Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan». However, on 21 July 2026 he demanded 300,000 tenge from the woman for taking that decision.
On 22 July, Sultanov closed the case under the amnesty, but continued to demand the money. From August to September he repeatedly contacted the woman and asked when she would hand over the sum.
HOW THE BRIBE WAS HANDED OVER
On 29 September, the woman turned to the Department of the National Security Committee (DNSC) for the Kostanay region.
The following day, DNSC officers gave her the money, which she transferred via an ATM to a specified number. The funds arrived through an intermediary who, according to the case file, did not know their purpose.
On 1 October, DNSC officers carried out searches at the Kostanay police department, including Sultanov's office.
WHAT THE FORMER POLICE OFFICER SAID
At the trial, Sultanov stated that the suspect's common-law wife had herself promised him a «rahmet» for closing the criminal case, implying a material thank-you. The investigator then decided to take advantage of the situation and named the sum of 300,000 tenge.
At the same time, he claimed that the money had in fact never reached him.
The defendant fully admitted his guilt and repented. He asked for a sentence without imprisonment, citing four minor children, a non-working wife and the difficult situation of his family.
WHAT PUNISHMENT THE COURT IMPOSED
Judge Merey Amanzhulov heard the case under a shortened procedure. Sultanov was found guilty under part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan («Receiving a bribe on a significant scale»).
The court took into account his admission of guilt, repentance and the presence of minor children as mitigating circumstances. An aggravating circumstance was the police officer's violation of the oath he had taken.
As a result, the former investigator was fined 9 million tenge, which is 30 times the amount of the bribe. He was also stripped of the rank of police captain and banned for life from working in the civil service.
The verdict has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
