In the Akmolinsk region, hundreds of millions of tenge allocated for housing for flood victims were embezzled.

“These funds were allocated from the government reserve in 2021 for the construction of two 100-apartment buildings to relocate 200 families from the Atbasar district living in a flood zone,” the prosecutor's office clarified.

The actions of the suspects were classified under part 4 of Article 189 of the RK Criminal Code ("Embezzlement or Misappropriation"), which pertains to the theft of property on a particularly large scale. This article prescribes a penalty of up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

Additionally, prosecutors uncovered unlawfully acquired property, including commercial real estate in Astana and Almaty, special equipment, construction tools, and over 50 million tenge in bank accounts. The estimated value of all seized assets exceeded 335 million tenge. Part of this property was leased out by the owner, generating illegal income.

“In this regard, the actions of one of the individuals involved have been additionally classified under part 3 of Article 218 of the RK Criminal Code — legalization (laundering) of money and other property acquired through criminal means. This carries a penalty of up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property,” the regional prosecutor's office added.

Two suspects have been taken into custody with court authorization, while a third accomplice is under house arrest. The participants in the process have been given time to familiarize themselves with the materials of the criminal case. The court will ultimately decide the case.

Previously, the court began examining a criminal case in the Aksu district of the Zhetysu region, where housing for flood victims became the property of a former akim's family.