Almaty court arrests Bek Air owner over stolen Fokker-100 engine
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An Almaty court on September 9 sanctioned the arrest of Nurlan Zhumasultanov, the de facto owner of Bek Air, for two months. He is charged with theft on an especially large scale under Part 4 of Article 188 of Kazakhstan's Criminal Code, carrying 5 to 10 years in prison. The case stems from the 2019 Bek Air crash investigation, where a stolen Fokker-100 engine was identified on the downed aircraft.
Key Facts
- Nurlan Zhumasultanov was arrested on September 9 by order of an Almaty investigative court for two months.
- He is charged under Part 4 of Article 188 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan, which carries a penalty of 5 to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.
- The stolen Fokker-100 engine was identified by its factory serial number on the Bek Air aircraft that crashed on December 27, 2019, killing 13 people.
- The case was transferred from the Transport Police Department to the National Security Committee (KNB) by the Main Transport Prosecutor's Office.
- Another person involved in the case was placed under house arrest.
Arrest and Charges
An Almaty investigative court sanctioned the arrest of Nurlan Zhumasultanov on September 9 for a period of two months. Zhumasultanov is charged with theft on an especially large scale under Part 4 of Article 188 of the Criminal Code of Kazakhstan. The charge carries a penalty of 5 to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property. Another person involved in the case was placed under house arrest.
Stolen Engine Investigation
The investigation concerns the disappearance of Fokker-100 aircraft engines stored at Almaty airport. A key lead emerged after the Bek Air crash on December 27, 2019, when the aircraft struck a building under construction, killing 13 people. An examination revealed that the crashed aircraft was equipped with one of the previously stolen engines, identified by its factory serial number. Unknown individuals removed the engine from a mothballed aircraft and installed it on a commercial airliner of Bek Air.
Case Transfer to KNB
The Transport Police Department investigated the case for a long time. The Main Transport Prosecutor's Office later transferred the case materials to the National Security Committee (KNB). Security officials concluded that Bek Air management and owners may have been involved in the theft of the equipment. Zhumasultanov was summoned for questioning and subsequently detained.