Perizat Kairat with her mother. Photo: Social media
An interdistrict criminal court in Astana has sentenced Perizat Kairat, former head of the charitable foundation Biz Birgemiz Qazaqstan 2030, to 10 years in prison for embezzling funds collected under the guise of providing humanitarian aid, Informburo reports.
Kairat was found guilty of large-scale fraud and money laundering and was stripped of her state award — the Shapagat medal, given for charitable work and compassion.
Her mother, Gainy Alashbayeva, who was also implicated in the case, received a seven-year prison sentence for aiding her daughter.
The court ordered both women to pay a total of 1.58 billion tenge (approximately $2.8 million) in damages to 50 victims. In addition, they were each fined 22 million tenge ($40,000) in state fees, 600,000 tenge ($1,000) in court costs, and a payment of 20 MRP (72,000 tenge or $132) to the victims' compensation fund. They were given one month to comply with the court’s ruling voluntarily.
Property obtained through criminal means will be confiscated. This includes a private home in the Vela Village cottage community; apartments in the Akbulak Riviera, Sensata Plaza, Highvill Ishim Gold, and Kók Zhailau residential complexes, along with associated parking spaces; four vehicles (Mercedes-Benz S450, Lexus LX 600, Mercedes-Benz EQE 500 4MATIC, and Haval H6 GT); full ownership of the company Rebel Flowers; and cash assets totaling $22,000 and 97 million tenge ($178,000) held in bank accounts.
Perizat Kairat is a Kazakh public figure and entrepreneur known for founding the Biz Birgemiz Qazaqstan 2030 charitable foundation in 2021, which was dissolved after the investigation began.
She was arrested in the fall of last year. The original charges involved the misappropriation of donations intended for charitable purposes. Prosecutors identified three main episodes: funds allegedly raised for children with disabilities, for victims of flooding in Kazakhstan, and for humanitarian aid to residents of Palestine. Investigators say that most of the donations were spent on luxury goods, real estate, and international travel.
