Horse herder in Akmola Region sentenced for embezzling 150 horses worth 70 million tenge

The Zereninsky District Court of the Akmola Region has heard a criminal case against a horse herder accused of embezzlement and fraud. The total damage exceeded 70 million tenge, infohub.kz reports.

According to the official Telegram channel of the Akmola Region courts, the man stood trial under Article 189, Part 3, Paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Criminal Code — embezzlement and theft of another person's property committed repeatedly and on a large scale — as well as under Article 190, Part 3, Paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code — fraud.

The court found that the defendant, working as a horse herder, concluded oral agreements with 34 citizens to graze their horses for a fee. He assumed obligations to ensure the safety of the animals and bore material liability for the property entrusted to him.

Between 2021 and 2025, he embezzled 150 head of livestock belonging to 34 victims — mares, geldings, stallions and foals — as well as 10 head of small ruminants. To conceal the loss, the man passed horses belonging to some owners to others in place of the missing animals. The total damage amounted to more than 70 million tenge.

In addition, the defendant, under the false pretext of buying a stallion for the herd, solicited funds. Horse owners transferred money, which he used at his own discretion, causing material damage to 5 victims in the amount of 40,000 tenge.

The man's guilt was confirmed by testimony from victims and witnesses, receipts, payment receipts for horse grazing, veterinary passports for the animals, confrontations, horse identifications and other case materials.

When imposing the sentence, the court took into account as a mitigating circumstance the defendant's four minor children in his care. Applying the Law "On Amnesty in Connection with the Adoption of the New Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the man was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months of imprisonment.

The victims' civil claims were satisfied: material damage totaling more than 70 million tenge was recovered. The court ruling has not yet entered into legal force.