An investigation has been launched in Almaty into a fraud case following complaints from parents whose children took part in paid auditions for the Jan Production film studio.
WHAT HAPPENED
According to KTK TV channel, parents saw adverts on social media for auditions to film a movie featuring well-known actors. Children aged 7 to 17 were promised leading roles in the filming.
According to the parents, after the audition, they were asked to pay for participation in the project — 1.5 million tenge.
The organisers also promised the children an atmosphere of 'real Hollywood' — a film premiere at a cinema, walking the red carpet, and arriving at the screening in a limousine.
The filming process was later postponed several times, after which participants were told it was suspended. When parents tried to get their money back, the company’s office was found closed.
ASSESSMENT OF DAMAGES
According to the parents of the project’s participants, the auditions were held in various cities across Kazakhstan. The general chat of alleged victims includes more than 4,000 people. They estimate the total damage could exceed 6 billion tenge. Official data from the investigation on the amount of damages has not yet been disclosed.
At the same time, according to project participants, some children did manage to take part in the filming and see themselves on screen, but for the majority of participants, the promised project never materialised.
POSITION OF THE PARTIES
Actor Zhan Baizhanbayev, whose name was used in the project’s advertising, stated that he is not the owner of the studio and was involved in the project as a guest.
'I am not the owner. I am not a co-owner of the company. I am an actor who works on films for this company. Like many other actors. Jan Production was named after me, thanks to Yerzhan. Because he loves my work and named it Jan Production,' the actor said.
The company’s director, Yerzhan Yedgebayev, reported that the studio was experiencing financial difficulties. According to him, the company is trying to complete filming, and if that is not possible, they plan to refund the participants.
INVESTIGATION
According to the Almaty Police Department, a criminal investigation has been launched based on the parents’ statements.
'All necessary investigative procedures are currently underway. This includes interrogations and interviews with employees, management, and so on. According to our preliminary data, around 100 more people intend to file a complaint with the Bostandyk district police department,' said official representative of the Almaty Police Department, Saltanat Azirbek.