After the spring 2024 floods, residents of the Amangeldi District of the Kostanay Region attempted to obtain state compensation by claiming the loss of livestock. However, as revealed during a prosecutor's inspection and court proceedings, some of the animals listed in the applications as dead were subsequently vaccinated and registered.
According to Ratel.kz, in May 2024, district residents appealed to the local Commission for the Assessment and Compensation of Material Damage Caused to Victims of Natural Emergencies.
They claimed that floodwaters had swept away their livestock. Despite the absence of the dead animals' bodies, the applicants presented witnesses who allegedly confirmed that the livestock had drowned.
The commission, guided by the materials presented, granted the claims for compensation. However, an inspection by the Kostanay Region Prosecutor's Office revealed that the livestock reported as dead was, in fact, alive.
Moreover, according to representatives of the supervisory body, the animals were vaccinated after the flood. A criminal case was initiated on this matter under Part 3 of Article 24 ("Preparation for a Crime and Attempt to Commit a Crime") and Part 3 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Fraud").
The commission's decision dissatisfied 48 district residents, who filed lawsuits in court, insisting on the unlawfulness of the refusal to pay compensation. However, according to the official commentary from the press service of the Kostanay Region Court, the claims were rejected.
"Based on the results of the court proceedings, it was established that, according to the data from the farm animal identification database, the vaccination of livestock in the post-flood period, about the death of which the plaintiffs had reported, did indeed take place. At the same time, under the implementation of a state procurement contract, the Amangeldi District Veterinary Station carried out measures to vaccinate animals. The contract was fully completed, certificates of completion were signed, and funds for payment of vaccination services were received. During the court's consideration of the case, the conditions of the completed work and the certificates were not disputed by anyone nor declared invalid", the court ruling stated.
The court also noted that:
- some animals were registered in the identification database after the start of the flood, in May 2024;
- others were deregistered in 2023 in connection with their sale;
- the applicants provided the commission with data on animals from 2020, which did not correspond to reality.
At the same time, the court recorded signs of violations on the part of the Amangeldi District Veterinary Station, the territorial inspectorate of the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision, and the Veterinary Department of the Akimat of the Kostanay Region.
"Separate instructions have been given to the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Prosecutor of the Kostanay Region, and the Akim of the Kostanay Region to take measures against those responsible. The ruling and the specific orders have not entered into legal force", the court summarised.