Kazak newspaper makes allegations of corruption against former members of the country's aviation agency

Published: 9/28/1999

According to a report in the Kazakhstan newspaper, Karavan, a scandal is emerging concerning overflight revenues in Kazakhstan. The newspaper claims that it has uncovered a fraud whereby the issuing of permits for flights over Kazakhstan were deliberately delayed by Kazaeronavigatsiya. Karavan claims that applicants were then contacted by a company called Interavia, offering to procure the permit within two to three hours for a $1,000 fee. Karavan further alleges that Interavia was given access by Kazaeronavigatsiya to AFTN, the aviation fixed telegraph liaison, and that it used the address of Orient Eagle, the government airline controlled by the state secret service. According to Karavan, Marat Bimamirov, Head of the Department of Permits at Kazaeronavigatsiya, resigned in order to work for Interavia. While none of the major airlines appear to have been duped, carriers such as TapoAvia (Uzbekistan), Volare (Ukraine), Atran (Russia), EtelAero (Russia), UkrainAirAlliance (Ukraine) are believed to have been victims of the fraud.When questioned by Karavan, Ermek Ashkenov, Deputy Director of Kazaeronavigatsiya, denied that the company had been involved in any fraudulent practice and insisted that it had suffered no material losses. Kazaeronavigatsiya is reported to generate annual revenues of $50m.

Article ID: 913