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Kazakh Military, Finance Officials Sentenced On Embezzlement Charges


A military court in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, has convicted and sentenced officials from the defense and finance ministries to lengthy prison terms in a high-profile corruption case.

The court on July 19 sentenced five officials and six private business owners to prison terms ranging from three to 12 years.

The highest ranking official, Colonel Tolemis Zhumqaziev of the armed forces' directorate for technical and material support, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The officials were found guilty of embezzlement and accepting a bribe of 70 million tenges ($214,000) from private business owners in 2016.

The business owners were convicted of giving bribes.

In recent years, several officials in the energy-rich Central Asian country have faced prosecution on suspicion of graft, with some sentenced to lengthy prison terms.

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