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The East Kazakhstan Regional Court's criminal division has upheld the initial verdict against former deputy governor Zhandos Omar، rejecting his appeal. This decision confirms the sentence handed down by the specialized inter-district court for criminal cases in Oskemen.

Court Upholds Original Verdict

The appellate court reviewed the appeal filed by Zhandos Omar's defense team. On April 3، the Oskemen court had found Omar guilty of serious corruption offenses and sentenced him to a prison term. The regional court's decision means the original verdict stands unchanged، and the appeal has been dismissed.

Reasons for the Court's Decision

Judges were satisfied that the initial court correctly assessed Omar's actions. The type and duration of the sentence were deemed consistent with legal requirements، taking into account the high societal risk posed by corruption that undermines public trust in government. The court's ruling becomes legally binding upon its pronouncement.

Background of the Case

Zhandos Omar، formerly a deputy akim (governor) of the East Kazakhstan region، was convicted of grave corruption crimes. The case involved two main charges: accepting a bribe of 20 million tenge and illicit financial dealings. According to the investigation، while serving as the akim of Oskemen city، Omar allegedly persuaded an acquaintance to formalize a vehicle as sponsorship from their enterprise. The acquired Toyota Camry 75 was subsequently re-registered through third parties and used by the official. The estimated damage from this transaction amounted to 13 million tenge.

Sentencing and Penalties

On April 3، the specialized inter-district court for criminal cases in Oskemen found Zhandos Omar guilty of fraud and bribery. He was sentenced to 6 years in a medium-security correctional facility. In addition to the prison term، his Toyota Camry vehicle was confiscated، he was stripped of the 'Kurmet' Order، and barred from holding public office.

The East Kazakhstan Regional Prosecutor's Office had previously emphasized that Omar's actions violated the principles of public service and public trust. It was noted that leniency and early conditional release are not applicable to individuals convicted of corruption offenses.

The former official did not agree with the first-instance court's decision. Before the verdict was delivered، he had requested the court to impose a fine instead of imprisonment. Following the sentencing، Zhandos Omar appealed the decision to a higher court.

This information was reported by Infohub.kz.