A court in North Kazakhstan Region has considered an administrative case against the akim of Beskol Rural District, Kanat Darbayev, who was accused of drunk driving. It is reported that he refused to undergo a medical examination.
According to Tengrinews.kz, the resolution of the Kyzylzhar District Court states that on the night of July 7, in the district centre of Beskol, police officers stopped an official car driven by Darbayev.
Law enforcement officers suspected the driver was drunk, so they took him to a narcology clinic, but the akim refused to undergo the examination.
"At the court hearing, Darbayev did not admit guilt for the alleged administrative offence. He stated that on the night of July 7, he was checking street lighting in his official car. Then a patrol car suddenly pulled up sharply from behind, from which a police district inspector's assistant got out and started shouting. Since Darbayev's car was at an intersection where stopping is not allowed, he drove about seven metres, after which the police officer began to swear obscenely," the court resolution states.
According to the akim, the police officers then twisted his arms, tied them behind his back with two belts, and took him to the narcology clinic in Petropavlovsk.
"There, the narcologist asked him if he would refuse the medical examination. Darbayev thought they were in collusion, because he saw them talking to each other, and the police officer whispered in his ear that narcotic substances might be found. Therefore, he refused to undergo the medical examination. After leaving the narcology clinic, the officers deliberately detained him so that he could not independently undergo an independent medical examination," the court resolution states.
In addition, the akim claimed that the police officers offered him "to settle the matter for money", but he refused. After that, a protocol on an administrative offence was drawn up against Darbayev.
At the same time, the police officers stated that nothing of the sort had happened. According to them, the akim's car aroused their suspicion because it was driving with high beams on and swerving. And when stopped, the driver had a strong smell of alcohol.
"The driver said he would go around the corner, but the police officers forbade him. Despite this, Darbayev continued driving. Then one of the police officers grabbed onto the bonnet and held on with his hand for about 10 metres. Therefore, after Darbayev stopped, they subdued him and tied his hands behind his back with a belt," the court resolution states.
In the end, the court considered the akim's guilt proven, and his claims of a conspiracy between the police and the narcologist to be unsubstantiated.
Kanat Darbayev was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest and disqualified from driving a vehicle for 8 years.
At the same time, the judge issued a ruling to bring information about violations by subordinates to the attention of the head of the Kyzylzhar District police department. The court established that a police officer used obscene language during the akim's arrest.
It also became known that the akim of the rural district has filed an appeal against the court ruling, and the case has been sent for consideration to the North Kazakhstan Regional Court. The enforcement of the arrest decision has been suspended.
In turn, Kanat Darbayev noted that if necessary, he would prove his innocence in the Supreme Court. In his opinion, he is being targeted because he prevented influential people from cutting down trees on a plot they had purchased.
"This situation happened to me, and they have already cut down the forest. It's all interconnected. The fact that I am now being harassed is a consequence. I was elected by the population, I believe in the support of the population. We will seek justice at the republican level too. I am not giving up. This is only the beginning," Kanat Darbayev commented.