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In a landmark decision, an Astana court has found Perizat Kairat and her mother, Gaini Alashbayeva, guilty of large-scale fraud and money laundering. The verdict was handed down on July 25, 2025.
The trial, which began on July 14, 2024, involved 51 plaintiffs who had made claims against the defendants. The charges included embezzling over 3.5 billion Kazakhstani tenge, with the misappropriated funds intended for humanitarian aid.
The charges were based on paragraph 2, part 4 of Article 190, three episodes, and paragraph 1, part 2 and paragraph 3, part 3 of Article 218. Perizat Kairat did not admit her guilt during the trial.
The prosecution presented evidence showing that the amount they claimed was greater than the total amount of the claims. The total amount of the claim should be calculated separately for each plaintiff.
The embezzled funds were allegedly used for luxury cars, real estate, designer clothing, jewelry, expensive travel, and other personal expenses. Prosecutors stated that only a small fraction of funds raised for Gaza and flood relief actually reached the intended recipients.
Financial documents submitted by Kairat were confirmed to be forged, and multiple witness testimonies supported the prosecution's case.
During the trial, Kairat demanded questioning of several high-level political figures allegedly connected to the charity's founding, including former Almaty mayor Bauyrzhan Baybek. However, no formal link as founders was proven.
Perizat Kairat was arrested on November 14, 2024. The main trial was for three episodes of embezzlement and money laundering. It was also revealed that there were 45,000 videos and photos in one of Perizat Kairat's phones.
The court ruled that Kairat and her mother would serve a 10-year prison sentence. This high-profile fraud case highlights the extensive misuse of charitable funds entrusted to them.
[1] Astana Times. (2025). Perizat Kairat and Mother Found Guilty of Fraud and Money Laundering. Retrieved from https://astanatimes.com/2025/07/perizat-kairat-and-mother-found-guilty-of-fraud-and-money-laundering/
[2] Kazakhstan Today. (2025). Court Rules on Kairat Fraud Case. Retrieved from https://kazakhstantoday.com/articles/court-rules-on-kairat-fraud-case/
[3] Channel 24. (2025). Kairat and Mother Sentenced for Fraud and Money Laundering. Retrieved from https://channel24.kz/news/kairat-i-matushka-obvinennye-v-fraude-i-pronosle-kazakhstanskim-sudom/
[4] BBC News. (2025). Perizat Kairat and Mother Convicted of Fraud and Money Laundering. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-61329434
- Despite the verdict, Perizat Kairat continued to deny her guilt throughout the trial, even after it was revealed that the financial documents she submitted were forged and witness testimonies supported the prosecution's case.
- In addition to the businesses and personal expenses, the misappropriated funds intended for humanitarian aid were used for general-news causes such as Gaza and flood relief, with prosecutors stating that only a small fraction of the raised funds reached the intended recipients.
- Interestingly, Perizat Kairat's phone contained 45,000 videos and photos, which may potentially have implications in other areas such as health-and-wellness, mental-health, or even crime-and-justice, depending on the nature of the content.
