Kazakh media reports say the military court of the Almaty garrison sentenced Darkhan Dilmanov, former Director of the Border Service also former Deputy Chairman of the National Security Committee (NSC) of Kazakhstan, to four years in prison on December 25, 2023.
The sentence reportedly followed his conviction on charges of abusing power resulting in grave consequences and receiving a large bribe.
The court reportedly also ruled confiscation of his property.
Kazakhstan’s national portal Adyrna reported yesterday that according to information, Darkhan Dilmanov and some other officials were accused of abuse of power and receiving large bribes.
“A citizen named D.E. suggested to D. Dilmanov to introduce a developed criminal scheme of transshipment of goods from China to Kazakhstan through the transit point. If it is successful, it is determined that he will receive a certain income from it. 1,750 flights were made due to the introduction of an illegal scheme of bypassing the general queue and not leaving the goods through the checkpoint, as a result of which large losses were incurred," said the court report.
According to Radio Liberty, Darkhan Dilmanov and several of his former subordinates were detained on corruption charges in June. On June 22, the NSC said that the moves were made as part of an investigation into possible abuse of office while supervising the flow of goods at outposts along the Kazakh-Chinese border.
Dilmanov was reportedly sacked from his post in April, days before the Prosecutor-General's Office said transportation company co-founded by the sister of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev was suspected of committing "numerous crimes" with regard to the transportation of goods via the Kazakh-Chinese border.
The Anti-Corruption Agency said at the time that it also fired Erbol Nazarbayev, one of the former president's nephews.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has been distancing himself from Nazarbayev and his clan after they left the tightly controlled oil-rich nation's political scene following unprecedented deadly anti-government protests in January, after which the NSC chief and one of Nazarbayev's closest allies, Karim Masimov, and his three deputies were arrested on high treason charges.
