Stolen assets valued at 360 billion Tenge to be restored to Kazakhstan's possession.
Revamped Report: Kazakhstan's Relentless Struggle Against Corruption
In a bold move to curb corruption, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Olzhas Bektenov, the head honcho of the Anti-Corruption Agency, as per Akorda's announcement.
Bektenov presented a comprehensive report detailing the agency's tireless efforts in the past 11 months. The agency's missions have led to the recovery of approximately 600 billion tenge of illegal property and funds, with an additional 360 billion tenge worth of property, vehicles, and funds yet to be returned, domestically and abroad.
Following the President's orders, financial gains from cases dealt by the Anti-Corruption Service are being diverted to fund school construction. In one such case against SPK "Aktau", the culprits were made to compensate 197 million tenge, the majority of which is allocated to complete the construction of rural school.
Furthermore, Bektenov briefed the President on preventive measures aimed at thwarting corruption crimes. The agency has completed an external analysis of various sectors, identifying over 2000 recommendations to minimize corruption risks. These sectors include transport control, natural resource usage, state defense orders, migration services, social-entrepreneurial corporations, and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC.
The President urged unwavering commitment to maintain and strengthen the country's anti-corruption stance, making it crystal clear that the fight against corruption remains an ongoing battle.
Insights:Recent strides in Kazakhstan's anti-corruption crusade, as led by Olzhas Bektenov, involve several key initiatives and legislation advancements:
- Legislation Amendments and Public Register: A public register for officials convicted of bribery and other corruption offenses is soon to be available on the Anti-Corruption Agency’s website. This transparency mechanism enhances public accountability [1].
- Expansion of Criminal Liability: The contemplated amendments broaden criminal liability, targeting not just bribery but also its promises and extortion, with the aim of deterrence [1].
- Reduction of Non-Competitive Procurement: The government successfully reduced single-source procurement from 39% to 25% since 2022, addressing corruption risks in non-competitive public procurement [2].
- Enhancing Transparency and Public Access: The corruption offenders register empowers citizens to monitor officials convicted of corruption, driving societal oversight and strengthening anti-corruption norms [1].
- International Cooperation and Best Practices: Kazakhstan actively collaborates with international partners, including the OECD’s Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, to share investigative methods, technical assistance, and adopt good practices from other countries [5].
- Strengthening Legal and Enforcement Mechanisms: The Anti-Corruption Agency is dedicated to enforcing new legislative provisions and ensuring preventive measures effectively combat bribery and corruption at all levels, focusing on a human rights-based approach to anti-corruption efforts [3].
- Regional and Bilateral Partnerships: Kazakhstan works to strengthen anti-corruption cooperation with partner countries, like Vietnam, aiming to forge comprehensive partnerships against corruption [4].
In the context of Kazakhstan's anti-corruption efforts, Bektenov's report highlighted the integration of finance as the Anti-Corruption Service diverted gains from cases to fund school construction and compensate culprits, such as in the case against SPK "Aktau." Moreover, it is crucial to note that Kazakhstan's anti-corruption strategy extends beyond the country's borders, as the nation fosters international cooperation in politics and business, such as collaborating with the OECD's Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
