Kazakhstan proposes criminal liability for offering bribes

According to Ulan Sarkulov, the first deputy chair of Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency, Kazakhstan is set to introduce criminal liability for offering and promising bribes.

The Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, has already adopted legislation to amend and expand the administrative code on corruption-related offences.    

While presenting the draft law, Sarkulov highlighted the Anti-Corruption Agency’s proposal to criminalize offering and promising bribes. He noted that most former Soviet states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova and Ukraine, have already adopted similar measures.

He also highlighted that such crimes are rarely reported in foreign countries.

«This is one of the key initiatives of the legislation, an issue that has been on the agenda for 16 years. Treating any conspiracy involving bribery as a completed crime will have a pronounced preventive effect, helping to curb bribery before it causes harm to the government,» Sarkulov explained.

These measures are part of broader efforts to combat corruption in Kazakhstan. The country recently announced the establishment of a registry for individuals convicted of corruption. Removal from the registry will only be possible following an acquittal or expungement of the conviction.