Former head of the Astana Culture Department Bolat Mazhagulov denies guilt in the embezzlement of more than 1 billion tenge during the construction of the 'Sun' fountain on the Yesil River.
According to the Telegram channel 'Nege Aqsha', he believes the media are spreading false information that benefits the investigation.
"I believe this violates my right to an objective examination of the circumstances of the case, hindering the court from delivering a lawful and well-founded decision", the statement reads.
At the same time, he refutes the prosecution's claim that installing the fountain was his initiative.
"As a result of examining the evidence from the criminal case materials related to the charges brought against me, presented to the court by the prosecutor, it was established that the decision to build the 'Sun' fountain on the Yesil River in 2016 and to finance it from the city budget was made by the leadership of the akimat, members of the public council, and deputies of the Astana city maslikhat", the statement says.
According to Mazhagulov, during the court proceedings it was established that the fountain stopped working after unknown individuals stole cables and other equipment. In 2020, the Astana police even conducted an investigation into this theft.
The former head of the Culture Department noted that despite this, the media are spreading information that the fountain malfunctioned due to poor quality metal used in the construction of its structures.
"The Department of Economic Investigations for Astana established the targeted use of the allocated funds for the implementation of the project for assembling and installing the 'Sun' fountain. It was confirmed that the budget funds allocated by the Astana Culture Department were used exclusively to pay for the assembly services of the 'Sun' fountain in accordance with the budget financing programme", Mazhagulov stated.
Furthermore, he believes that the information published in the media about violations in the public procurement procedure is also inaccurate.
Mazhagulov noted that over 8 years, authorised bodies conducted numerous checks on this project and never identified any violations, including during public procurement.
"Thus, the attempt, after a significant period of time, to place on me responsibility for the non-functioning 'Sun' fountain, installed by decision of the leadership of the Astana akimat and local representative bodies, is absurd, does not correspond to the facts or logic. Currently, the court hearing on the charge brought against me is ongoing and nearing completion. I hope for its objectivity and fairness", the statement reads.
It is worth recalling that in December of last year, court proceedings began in Astana against the former head of the Culture Department Bolat Mazhagulov and a representative of the contracting organisation Madi Kanapin.
It was reported that the defendants are suspected of embezzling more than 1 billion tenge during the construction of the 'Sun' fountain ('Lighting and Fire Show on the Yesil River'), which is in a state of disrepair and has not been functioning since 2017.
The media wrote that the fountain was built without design and estimate documentation and without state expertise, and that substandard materials not meeting technical specifications were used in its construction.
As part of the case, Bolat Mazhagulov's property, consisting of three commercial premises, two parking spaces, and a premium-class apartment in Astana, has been seized.
Incidentally, in September, following news of Mazhagulov's detention, a member of the Astana Public Council, Kanat Alin, proposed demolishing the 'Sun' fountain. Alin recounted how, during the fountain's construction, he repeatedly reported to the akimat that it was being built with violations.
In turn, the Deputy Head of the Astana Department of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, Samat Abdullin, stated that the fountain could not be demolished in the near future as it constitutes material evidence in the criminal case.