The Main Transport Prosecutor's Office (GTP) has commented on the verdict in the "Kaztemirtrans" case. The decision was announced by the Interdistrict Criminal Court of Astana on March 18. Today, on March 19, the GTP of the Republic of Kazakhstan provided explanations on the case and the verdict.
According to the statement, in 2022, a corruption scheme involving employees of the branch of AO "Kaztemirtrans" and shippers was uncovered. These individuals had been accepting bribes systematically from shippers and their representatives in exchange for providing wagons for cargo transportation due to a shortage of wagons between 2019-2022.
On March 18, the court found four employees of AO "Kaztemirtrans" guilty of corruption for accepting bribes. Three were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment, while one was acquitted due to death. Sixteen bribe-givers, who were also businessmen-shippers, were found guilty by the court. However, 15 of them were released from criminal liability due to active repentance, full confession, assistance in solving the crime, and remorse. One businessman who did not admit guilt was fined 49 million tenge.
The GTP explained that a first-time offender of a corruption crime can be exempted from criminal liability by the court due to active repentance (Article 65 of the Criminal Code). The court's verdict has not yet come into legal force.
On December 30, 2022, it was reported that a criminal scheme of illegal enrichment of AO "KazTemirTrans" officials, the largest operator of the freight wagon fleet in Kazakhstan, had been uncovered and thwarted.