Former deputy akim of Shymkent, who was accused of attempting to bribe a senior official, has been sentenced. Maksut Isakhov will spend eight and a half years behind bars.
The court found that Isakhov, while serving as the deputy akim of Shymkent, attempted to bribe a senior official – the first deputy chief of the Department of the National Security Committee (KNB) Sarbasov – with an especially large amount exceeding 200,000 US dollars in exchange for halting a criminal case opened against city akimat officials for "abuse of power or official authority."
During sentencing, the court took into account the presence of mitigating circumstances such as the defendant having minor children. No aggravating circumstances were established in the case. Isakhov was found guilty of attempting to bribe in an especially large amount and was sentenced to eight years, five months, and seven days of imprisonment, with a lifetime ban on holding public office. Additionally, a recommendation was made to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to strip Isakhov of his state award – the "Kurmet" order – explained Judge Abinur Karabayev of the Shymkent City Court.
The defense team of Isakhov declined to comment on the verdict and also prohibited the filming of his face.
50-year-old Maksut Isakhov held the position of deputy akim of Shymkent since February 2020. He was born on January 23, 1974, in the Shardarinsky district of the Turkestan (South Kazakhstan) region.
He was arrested on July 20, 2023, with the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan confirming the information at that time.
On February 26, 2024, during a preliminary hearing, Isakhov's defense requested a change in his detention measure while he was in pre-trial detention. The defense lawyers justified their request citing the poor health of the defendant. However, this fact was not confirmed during the proceedings. Furthermore, the defense lawyers of the former deputy akim of Shymkent requested the case to be heard in a court in another region. Ultimately, the defense's requests were denied.
On March 19, 2024, during the second trial, the first deputy chief of the National Security Committee, to whom the 200,000 US dollars were intended, was questioned. Manap Sarbasov, who is also under investigation for a separate case of exceeding official authority, testified in Isakhov's case as a witness.
In his testimony, the former first deputy chief of the National Security Committee revealed that the ex-deputy akim started inviting him to meetings after the incident. Upon informing his superiors, Sarbasov initiated unofficial investigative measures. According to the witness, during the meetings, Isakhov first offered him a tender, then 100,000 dollars, and later raised the "price" to 200,000. Additionally, Sarbasov claimed that the ex-deputy akim of Shymkent even proposed a location for the bribe handover and a code word.
