Authorities in Astana have uncovered a large-scale embezzlement scheme involving public funds allocated to the city’s emergency medical service (EMS) station, the Astana Prosecutor’s Office announced.
According to investigators, between 2020 and 2023 the station’s former director, the former head of the transport department, and the former chief mechanic, who also served as warehouse manager, organized the misappropriation of funds intended for the repair and maintenance of ambulance vehicles.
As a result of the scheme, the number of operational ambulances reportedly dropped from 149 to just 32, significantly affecting the city’s emergency medical response capacity.
Prosecutors said the total financial damage to the state exceeded KZT 700 million. More than KZT 440 million has been ordered to be recovered under the court’s verdict, while over KZT 300 million spent on taxi services is subject to recovery through separate civil proceedings.
The court found the defendants guilty of embezzling entrusted public funds on an especially large scale under Article 189, Part 4, Clause 2 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code.
The defendants were sentenced to 8 and 9 years in prison. They were also permanently banned from holding positions in the civil service and organizations within Kazakhstan’s quasi-public sector.
The court’s verdict has not yet entered into legal force.