A trial has begun in Oskemen against the founder of «Bipek Auto Kazakhstan» Anatoly Balushkin. Alongside him in the dock is the general director of «Asia Auto» Yerik Sagymbayev.
According to Ulysmedia.kz, it all began when the authorities terminated the contract with the company in 2020 and demanded the return of government-allocated funds amounting to 174 billion tenge. This was because its representatives failed to fulfil their obligations regarding the industrial assembly of cars. The company had received tax breaks worth this sum over 10 years.
It is noted that the trial is being held in absentia because the defendants managed to leave Kazakhstan.
For context, it was previously reported that the AFM is conducting a pre-trial investigation into the chairman of the board of directors of «Asia-Bipek AVTO» Anatoly Balushkin, the general director of JSC «Asia AVTO» Yerik Sagymbayev, and several other top managers of the group of companies. At that time, it was reported that they were accused of embezzling over 230 billion tenge.
In December 2022, one of the top managers of «Asia-Bipek AVTO» was detained in Prague, though it was not disclosed who exactly; it was merely recalled that on 12 August 2021, Balushkin was put on the wanted list, and a court authorised his arrest in absentia under Article 190, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan – fraud.
Later, private bailiffs of the East Kazakhstan Region put up for auction the building complex of the car assembly plant in Oskemen, which Anatoly Balushkin built in the early 2000s. A railway access line had been laid to it.