A district criminal court in Astana on November 4 handed down a guilty verdict in a large-scale fraud case, finding the head of a limited liability partnership guilty of taking an advance for parachute equipment and failing to deliver, the website infohub.kz reports.

According to the Astana courts' press service, the defendant, who had experience in supplying military-technical equipment, signed a contract with the state-owned enterprise Kazspetsexport for the supply of parachute equipment worth 874 million tenge. The court found that he never intended to fulfill the contract and had no real ability to supply the goods. A contract with an insurance company was also concluded in order to obtain the advance.

By deceiving representatives of Kazspetsexport and the insurance company, the defendant received an advance of 646 million tenge. The equipment was not delivered on time, and he used the budget funds at his own discretion.

"As a result, the state suffered material damage of 646 million tenge. In addition, the insurance company suffered losses after paying that sum to the state-owned enterprise Kazspetsexport under the insurance contract," the court said.

The defendant was found guilty of large-scale fraud (Article 190, Part 4, Paragraph 2, of the Criminal Code). His guilt was confirmed by testimony from representatives of the victims and witnesses, an audit report and a commodity expert examination.

"The prosecutor asked for a sentence of 6 years 8 months in prison with an additional penalty. The defendant did not admit guilt and asked to be acquitted. Representatives of the victims asked for a strict punishment," the court said.

The sanction under the article provides for between 5 and 10 years in prison. In passing sentence, the court took into account a mitigating circumstance — the defendant has two young children — and found no aggravating circumstances.

"Taking into account the circumstances and gravity of the crime, the failure to compensate the especially large damage caused to the state and the insurance company, the presence of mitigating and absence of aggravating circumstances, the court sentenced him to 6 years 8 months in prison with an additional penalty of 6 years," the court statement said.

No civil claims were filed because the sum was recovered by a court decision in civil proceedings. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.