Members of the Majilis are interested in the fate of fugitive bankers and their deputies in connection with a new bill proposing the decriminalization of certain economic offenses. During the presentation of the bill on decriminalizing economic offenses and combating the legalization of illegally obtained income, Majilis deputy Askar Sadykov raised concerns about fugitive bankers potentially evading criminal responsibility.
Sadykov questioned the representative of the Financial Monitoring Agency of Kazakhstan about the application of Article 219 in cases where bank owners or top managers grant loans to their affiliated companies and move assets out of the country. In response, the deputy chairman of the Agency confirmed that individuals engaging in such activities would still be held accountable under the Criminal Code for illegal actions related to loan issuance or abuse of their position within financial institutions.
The proposed bill aims to decriminalize cases where individuals distorted financial data but did not intend to misappropriate funds when obtaining loans. However, deliberate acts of misappropriation and non-repayment of loans would continue to be punishable under Article 190 for fraud or Article 189 for embezzlement in conspiracy with the lender. The decriminalization would not apply to cases involving intentional misappropriation from the outset.
The initiative to decriminalize certain economic offenses in Kazakhstan was introduced on April 17, 2024, and is currently under review by the Majilis. For more information on the specific economic offenses that may see reduced liability, please refer to the provided link.
