The head of the Department of Culture, Language Development, and Archival Affairs in the Ulytausky region, Anuar Omar, has been convicted of corruption. The verdict was announced on March 13, 2024, by the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Combating Corruption.
The sentencing of the officials from the Department of Culture, Language Development, and Archival Affairs in the Ulytausky region, as well as the Center for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Heritage, for bribery took place in the Zhezkazgan City Court.
The court found that the officials had conspired to receive a bribe of 2 million tenge from a representative of a contracting organization for signing documents related to a government contract for archaeological excavations in ancient burial grounds in the region. Each of the officials received a six-year prison sentence, while the representative of the contracting company, LLP "Center for the Study and Preservation of Cultural Heritage," was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison.
Additionally, all convicted individuals have been permanently banned from holding positions in public service, as clarified by Anticor. The judicial process was conducted in an open format to prevent corruption and promote an anti-corruption culture in society.
During the trial, employees from the regional Department of Culture, Language Development, and Archival Affairs, as well as civil servants from the regional akimat of Ulytausky, Zhezkazgan, Satpaev, Karazhal, Zhanaarkinsk, and Ulytausky districts, were connected online to observe the proceedings.
It is important to note that the verdict has not yet entered into legal force. The suspicions regarding the head of the Department of Culture, Language Development, and Archival Affairs in the Ulytausky region regarding bribery were first reported on February 12, 2024.
