The State Property and Privatisation Committee (SPPC) has reported that since the start of the year, officials have returned 178 gifts received from citizens to the state. According to MIA "Kazinform", their estimated value is approximately 1.45 million tenge.
"Under the law, gifts to responsible civil servants subject to anti-corruption restrictions must be transferred free of charge to the authorised state body for managing state property within seven calendar days of receiving the gift or from the day they became aware of its receipt", the statement reads.
This property is then sold at auction. It is noted that the Department of State Property and Privatisation has sold 88 gifts since the start of the year, totalling 712.56 thousand tenge.
Recall that in November last year, the Anti-Corruption Agency for the West Kazakhstan Region fined Margarita Buldakova amounting to 690 thousand tenge for gifting a yoga mat to the former head of the regional sports department, Kaimen Yesendiyarov.
The trainer decided to appeal the decision, arguing that there was no corrupt intent in her actions. Furthermore, she noted that the gifts presented had no material value and were given to her for charitable purposes.
Later, the court ruled to release Buldakova from administrative liability due to the insignificance of the offence.