Former Kazakh Official Sentenced to Six Years for Fraud and Bribery

A court in Ust-Kamenogorsk has sentenced Zhaksylyk Omar, the former first deputy governor of the East Kazakhstan region, to six years in prison with confiscation of property. The verdict was delivered on April 3, finding him guilty of large-scale fraud and accepting a substantial bribe.

The charges stemmed from two separate criminal episodes. The first involved his tenure as the mayor of Ust-Kamenogorsk. According to the investigation, a citizen obtained a Toyota Camry 75 (2021 model) as material aid from a city enterprise at Omar's request. The vehicle was later allegedly delivered to the city administration building, where keys were handed over. Prosecutors stated the car was subsequently re-registered to a third party and eventually traded in for a newer model used by Omar himself. The estimated damage from this fraud scheme was 13 million tenge.

The second episode occurred in early February of this year. Court materials revealed that Omar met with an employee of the city administration and asked him to bring 20 million tenge. While Omar characterized this as a request, prosecutors classified it as soliciting a bribe for general patronage. The employee reported the incident to Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB). Under surveillance, he met Omar again and proposed paying the sum in installments, to which Omar agreed. On the same day, six million tenge in cash was transferred to the suspect through an intermediary.

During the trial, Zhaksylyk Omar fully admitted his guilt and expressed sincere remorse. In his final statement to the court, he pleaded for an alternative punishment.

"I have had enough time to think everything over," he said. "It is even harder to realize that nothing can be returned. I do not want to be a burden on the state; I want to make my contribution. I will go into debt but will pay any fine imposed."

Despite his plea for leniency and a financial penalty instead of imprisonment, the court sided with state prosecutors who had requested a six-year prison term during closing arguments on March 31.