AREM ex-Chairman Ospanov free after paying more than KZT 1 bln fine
11:44, 14 October 2015
ASTANA. KAZINFORM Ex-Chairman of the Natural Monopolies Regulation Agency (AREM) Murat Ospanov has paid the full amount of KZT 1,101,060,000 penalty imposed on him by Astana Specialized Inter-District Criminal Court.
"As of October 12, 2015 the convict M. Ospanov paid the full amount of the fine to the budget of the Republic of Kazakhstan," an official statement reads. Recall that in February 2015 Ospanov was pleaded guilty to bribe-taking. The court set him a monetary penalty - to return a 50-fold amount of the bribe to the budget , i.e. KZT 1,101,060,000. The decision was based on the new Criminal Code of the country (entered into January 1, 2015) which allows the courts to choose fine imposition as an alternative to imprisonment.