Former Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister sentenced to four more years
ASTANA. July 16 (Interfax) - Former Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister Kazhimurat Maermanov has been sentenced to an additional four years for abuse of office, the Investigative Committee of the Kazakh Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
"On July 15, 2013, the Akmolinsk garrison military court sentenced former Kazakh Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Maermanov to four years," the statement said.
Maermanov has been sentenced "for abuse of office when concluding the contract on weapons modernization with an Israeli company," the statement said.
The criminal case was investigated by the Military Investigative Department of the Kazakh Interior Ministry.
In early 2010, Maermanov was sentenced to 11 years for committing corruption-related crimes, the abuse of authority and receiving a bribe.
Israeli citizen Boris Sheinkman was sentenced to 11 years for fraud and giving a bribe with Maermanov at that time.
Maermanov was detained in April 2009 on the suspicion of abuse of office when holding tenders to develop and produce the new artillery systems Nayza, Semser and Aybat for the Kazakh armed forces.
Maermanov supervised organizing scientific, research, test, construction and other works in the defense sector.
In the framework of this criminal case, the special service investigated the actions of other defense ministry officials when concluding and implementing a number of contracts with the Israeli companies, IMI and Soltam Sistems, to purchase multiple launch rocket systems and to modernize their artillery system.
According to the information of the Kazakh National Security Committee, the state sustained damages of over $82 million as a result of the multiple violations that occurred during the conclusion of these contracts.
Sheinkman was the official representative of IMI and Soltam Sistems, with whom the contracts were concluded. Sheinkman was detained in late March 2009. The National Security Committee said back then that the case against Sheinkman was not related to the criminal case against Maermanov. National Security Committee press secretary told Interfax at that time that Sheinkman was suspected of committing a number of crimes, including fraud - he "was somehow receiving a pension in Kazakhstan."
The National Security Committee said in December 2009 that the criminal case "against Maermanov" was related to the case against Sheinkman.