The Shymkent Prosecutor's Office has uncovered instances of entrepreneurs issuing invoices without actually carrying out work, totalling more than 6.4 billion tenge.
According to the press service, the agency has launched a pre-trial investigation under Article 216, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Committing actions to issue an invoice without actual performance of work, provision of services, or dispatch of goods).
The materials were transferred to the Department of Economic Investigations. The agency has filed four lawsuits in court with the aim of recovering the damage caused to the state.
17 officials from the authorised body were brought to disciplinary responsibility.
For context, in August it was reported that in the Kostanay region, the head of a farm issued fictitious invoices worth 1 billion tenge. As a result of these actions, counterparties evaded paying taxes to the state budget amounting to over 200 million tenge.
In May, a sentence was passed on the director of a limited liability partnership, along with heads and employees of kindergartens who committed embezzlement of more than 35 million tenge. The heads submitted applications for food products which were never purchased, and also issued electronic invoices, waybills, and reconciliation statements with incorrectly specified objects.
At the same time, it was reported that the Inter-District Criminal Court of Shymkent is considering a case in which the defendants include the former head of State Communal Enterprise "KUATZHYLUORTALYK-3", former heads of the Shymkent Department of Energy and Infrastructure Development, as well as directors of firms and companies involved in construction and the energy business.
They are accused of issuing fictitious invoices, embezzlement of property using official position, as well as money laundering or the laundering of property obtained by criminal means.