Kazakhstan Has a New Channel for Reporting Corruption

The measure was adopted in conformity with the instructions of the President aimed at promoting the “law and order” principle in society and, as highlighted by the Agency, will support stronger engagement of citizens in preventing and combating corruption.

The chatbot will allow any citizen to:

Report facts of corruption;
Get advice on anti-corruption issues.

The Agency stresses that it ensures full confidentiality of such disclosures of corruption offences, consideration of all reports and subsequent follow-up in the event that illegal activities are detected. At the same time, the Agency does not clarify how exactly it will ensure confidentiality of the data transferred through the messenger and their security in general.

The Agency also informs that the whistleblower’s reward programme is applicable to the reports made through the chatbot.

Under the programme, in case of disclosure of reliable information about corruption offences that have not inflicted any damage or the illegal remuneration, value of the benefits or services provided or the amount of the damage of which does not exceed 1,000 MCI (KZT 3,930,000), the amount of the lump sum remuneration is the following:

In administrative cases of corruption offences – 30 MCI (KZT 117,960);
In criminal cases of minor corruption crimes – 40 MCI (KZT 157,280);
In criminal cases of corruption crimes of moderate severity – 50 MCI (KZT 196,600);
In criminal cases of serious corruption crimes - 70 MCI (KZT 275,240);
In criminal cases of particularly serious corruption crimes – 100 MCI (KZT 393,200).

In case of disclosures of corruption offences the amount of illegal remuneration, the value of the benefits or services provided or the amount of the damage of which exceeds 1,000 MCI, the amount of the lump sum remuneration will be 10% of the specified amount, but not more than 4,000 MCI (KZT 15,700,000).

Knowingly false reporting of corruption offences also through the chatbot can result either in criminal liability in the form of a fine of up to 1,000 MCI or community service in the same amount or public works of up to 400 hours or restriction of freedom for up to one year or imprisonment for the same period, or in administrative liability in the form of a warning or a fine of 20 MCI.