Conviction in Turkestan Over Fake Employment Scheme

In Turkestan, a court has handed down a guilty verdict in a case involving the embezzlement of budget funds allocated for subsidizing the wages of employed citizens. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Anti-Fraud Measures (AFM) in the Turkestan region.

It was established that the former director of the State Communal Enterprise “Labor Mobility Center,” an employee of the “Employer Support” department, and several managers of commercial organizations created a scheme to illegally obtain state funds through fictitious employment.

According to the investigation, the center employee used entrepreneurs’ digital signatures to submit falsified applications for state programs, listing non-existent jobs. Once approved, employment orders were issued for citizens who, in reality, did not work anywhere.

Entrepreneurs involved persuaded acquaintances and relatives to open bank accounts allegedly to participate in support programs. False timesheets were then submitted monthly, and subsidies were transferred to the accounts of the fictitious employees. The funds were subsequently withdrawn in cash and distributed among the scheme participants.

As a result, 78 individuals were fictitiously employed, causing the state a loss of over 49 million tenge.

The court sentenced three defendants to real prison terms ranging from 4 years and 6 months to 5 years. Two entrepreneurs received restrictions on freedom for 4 years and 6 months. The damage has been fully compensated. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.