Двум бывшим председателям судов в Петропавловске вынесли реальные сроки

Json { "title": "Two Former Court Chairmen in Kazakhstan Sentenced to Prison for Corruption", "text": "

A court in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan, has handed down prison sentences to two former city court chairmen convicted of corruption and fraud. The case, which involved multiple bribery schemes, concluded with the sentencing of 46-year-old Bekbol Baimakhanov and 41-year-year-old Erlan Ibraev.

\n\n

Baimakhanov, the former chairman of the Specialized Interdistrict Economic Court of the North Kazakhstan Region (serving from 2022 to 2024), and Ibraev, the former chairman of Petropavlovsk City Court No. 2 (serving from 2021 to January 2025), were found guilty alongside three other defendants: a lawyer from Almaty named Artem Ivanov and two local businessmen, Gevorg Poghosyan and Hamlet Melkonyan.

\n\n

The charges stemmed from three separate episodes. In the first, Baimakhanov was accused of agreeing to accept a bribe from lawyer Ivanov. Ivanov represented a collection agency in a long-running land dispute case before the economic court. According to prosecutors, Baimakhanov arranged a meeting with Ivanov through another judge, Omarov. At a restaurant on August 21, 2024, Ivanov allegedly offered Baimakhanov $20,000 (over 9.5 million tenge) for a favorable ruling for his client in both the initial trial and an appeal. The agreed sum later increased to $50,000.

\n\n

\n\n

Judge Omarov subsequently reported the scheme to Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB). An investigation was launched on October 17. On December 18, part of the bribe ($15,000) was transferred via Omarov to Baimakhanov; this money was later seized by KNB officers from his office.

\n\n

The second episode involved businessman Gevorg Poghosyan, whose road construction company faced a lawsuit over defective asphalt work on a state contract. Fearing being blacklisted from state procurement despite having fixed the defects, Poghosyan sought help through his acquaintance Melkonyan. Melkonyan approached his friend Judge Ibraev for assistance.

\n\n

Although Ibraev had no direct authority over the case in the economic court, he contacted Baimakhanov and asked him to secure a favorable decision for Poghosyan in exchange for 2.5 million tenge to be split between them. Prosecutors stated that Poghosyan delivered the money to Ibraev at his apartment building entrance; Ibraev counted it with his wife before passing on part of it to Baimakhanov.

\n\n

The third episode centered on businessman Hamlet Melkonyan's bankruptcy proceedings. Prosecutors alleged that Melkonyan offered bribes totaling an initial $10,000 (later reduced to 2 million tenge) to Judges Ibraev and Baimakhanov to have his individual entrepreneurship recognized as bankrupt and his debts written off.

\n\n

Baimakhanon took \"special control\" over this bankruptcy case despite having no legal right to intervene or influence another judge's decision. After Melkonyan's business was declared bankrupt by the court—a decision later overturned on appeal due to lack of grounds—he borrowed money and handed it over in a cafe restroom.

\n\n

On March 4th Judge Asem Dzhalalina delivered her verdicts:

\n

Bekbol Baimakhanon: Sentenced to eight years imprisonment with lifelong ban from public service; ordered confiscation of 1 million 284 thousand tenge.

\n

Erlan Ibraev: Sentenced to six years imprisonment with lifelong ban from public service; ordered confiscation of 2 million 250 thousand tenge.

\n

The other defendants received prison terms as well: lawyer Artem Ivanon got six years; Hamlet Melkonian four years; Gevorg Poghossian three-and-a-half years respectively—all will serve their sentences at medium-security penal institutions.

\n

\n

The court also issued two private rulings concerning Judge Omaron who initially reported wrongdoing but was found communicating regularly outside proper channels with one defendant—lawyer Ivano—and organizing meetings where favorable rulings were discussed for payment contrary judicial ethics codes according presiding judge Dzhalalinа’s reading during sentencing hearing .

", "excerpt": "A Kazakhstani court has sentenced two former city court chairmen—Bekbol Baimakhanon (8 years) & Erlan Ibrayeve(6years)—for orchestrating multiple bribery schemes involving lawyers & businessmen while serving as senior judges.", "tags": ["Kazakhstan", "Corruption", "Judiciary", "Court", "Bribery", "Petropavlovsk", "Sentencing"], "telegram": "

A major corruption scandal has rocked Kazakhstan's judiciary system.

A court in Petropavlovsk has just handed down real prison sentences—eight and six years respectively—to two former city court chairmen convicted of orchestrating multiple bribery schemes while serving as senior judges.

The case reveals shocking details: one judge negotiated a $50K bribe deal with an Almaty lawyer over land disputes; another took cash from businessmen seeking favorable rulings on road contracts & bankruptcy cases... All while another colleague acted as an intermediary before blowing whistle!