The Specialised Interdistrict Criminal Court of Almaty has completed its hearing of the case concerning the accident on Al-Farabi Avenue, which resulted in the deaths of three people. Alexander Pak was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
WHAT DECISION DID THE COURT REACH
Following the proceedings, the court found Alexander Pak guilty under Part 4 of Article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ("Violation of traffic rules while intoxicated, negligently resulting in the death of two or more persons").
He was sentenced to 10 years in a minimum-security prison colony. In addition, the convicted man has been banned from driving for life.
The court also ordered that 10 million tenge be recovered in favour of the father of the deceased Tomiris Kadyrbek — Rustembek Shatenov.
WHAT POSITIONS DID THE PARTIES TAKE IN THE CASE
During the hearing of the case, Alexander Pak fully admitted his guilt and stated his readiness to face punishment. He claimed, however, that he had only drunk two sips of beer and that, before the collision, the car became uncontrollable due to brake failure.
Before the sentencing, the convicted man made a final statement. In court, he stated that he understands the consequences of what happened and had not tried to evade responsibility.
Furthermore, relatives of two of the deceased stated that they had reconciled with Pak and asked the court not to impose a custodial sentence on him. According to them, the defendant had repented, apologised, and fully compensated for material and moral damages.
CONTEXT
The accident occurred on the night of 21 March on Al-Farabi Avenue in Almaty. According to the investigation, the driver of a Zeekr car, while intoxicated, was travelling at a speed of around 219 km/h, crossed into the oncoming lane, and collided with a Mercedes car.
Three people died as a result of the crash — the driver of the Mercedes and two female passengers.
Following the accident, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) dismissed a number of senior officials from their posts. Criminal cases were also opened and an official investigation began.
The crash caused a public outcry and once again raised the issue of persistent road safety risks in Almaty, despite a decrease in overall traffic accident fatalities.
