A former employee of Otbasy Bank, Maxim Ileshev, has accused the management of systemic extortion and corruption, claiming he came under pressure after refusing to participate in such schemes. According to him, the bank allegedly had a practice of "voluntary-compulsory" collections — for gifts for management, corporate parties, and events. Refusal reportedly threatened dismissal.
According to ORDA, Ileshev said that the culmination was a collection for the birthday of one of the top managers — deputy chairman of the board Nurlan Akshanov. He claimed that 239,000 tenge was collected from just one department. After he appealed to the bank's management, and then to the Presidential Administration (AP), internal audits began. The money started being returned — covering the last three years at once.
Ileshev also reported that at a meeting at the Ministry of Economy, the fact of gift-giving was confirmed by the deputy chairman of the board Savchenko, who oversees the security service.
"The collections overseen by Akshanov went towards gifts for management, corporate events, motivational meetings, sports days, team-building activities, New Year celebrations, International Women's Day, and National Currency Day — under the guise of being voluntary. In case of refusal, employees were flagged and became the first candidates for dismissal, redundancy, or pressure," the former employee claims.
For their part, the bank's press service rejected the allegations. The official response states that employees of one of the departments, on their own initiative, wanted to give a shapan as a symbol of national tradition.
"Such a gift is due to the fact that on Wednesdays, all visitors to the bank's branches are greeted by employees in camisoles or shapans. This is not just an element of appearance, but an important part of the corporate culture, reflecting respect for national traditions, hospitality, and a sincere attitude towards clients," the bank's response states.
According to the bank's representatives, the management refused the gift, and the funds were returned. It is noted that it was this specific incident that Ileshev regarded as a potential corruption violation.
It has become known that after the former employee's appeal, the bank conducted an audit and sent the materials to the anti-corruption agency. However, the agency found no evidence of a crime.
Ileshev claims he came under pressure and was eventually dismissed after a disciplinary sanction. The court ruled the dismissal lawful — due to unauthorised absence from the workplace. The appeal upheld the decision.
Maxim Ileshev continues to seek recognition of the violations and insists that the history of extortion at the bank is not an isolated case. His statement to the Presidential Administration — like the internal audits carried out — has not yet led to consequences for the management.