The Department of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Financial Monitoring in the city of Shymkent conducted an investigation into the theft of funds from the State Enterprise “Shymkent Zhastar Theaters” for a total of more than 136 million tenge.
The AFM press service reported this on July 9, 2025.
The theater was allocated money from the state budget in the amount of 320 million tenge, which was supposed to go towards the purchase of new equipment: a stage truss, speakers, microphones, amplifiers, subwoofers, etc. However, the theater director and a number of other officials of the organization decided to profit from this purchase. In violation of current legal requirements, they artificially split the lots into more than 20 positions and purchased the equipment through an e-commerce store.
To cash out the funds, fictitious individual entrepreneurs were attracted, with whom supply contracts were concluded, although, in reality, these entrepreneurs had nothing to do with the purchased equipment.
With the stolen money, theater officials purchased a car and an apartment, with a total value of 48 million tenge – and they were registered to fictitious persons.
The Financial Monitoring Agency reports that the said property has been seized, and all suspects have been taken into custody.
Whether law enforcement officers found the remaining stolen amount, about 88 million tenge, is not reported.
Interestingly, a message appeared on the Instagram page of the State Enterprise “Shymkent Zhastar Theaters” indicating that this criminal case concerns another enterprise – the State Enterprise “Shymkent Qalalyq Madeniet Uyi” Concert Hall, which currently does not exist. And the State Enterprise “Shymkent Zhastar Theatres” is only the legal successor of the said organization and has nothing to do with the revealed facts of violations committed in the previous period.
Thus, the press service of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Financial Monitoring does not know the correct name of the enterprise, in relation to which the investigation was conducted. Because of which “Shymkent Zhastar Theatres” is now suffering serious image losses.
Photo from the Instagram profile: @shymkent_zhastar_theatre
