NEW HEAD OF FINANCIAL POLICE ACADEMY IN

UNCLAS ASTANA 001094 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (OMARA),INR, INL/AAE (ALTON) SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCOR KCRM KZ SUBJECT: NEW HEAD OF FINANCIAL POLICE ACADEMY IN KAZAKHSTAN ¶1. (U) Summary: On March 29, the Chairman of the Financial Police appointed Major-General Ramazan Tleuhan to head the Kazakhstani Financial Police Academy located near Astana. The new Head of Financial Police Academy replaces Colonel/Professor of the Financial Police Academy, Marat Kogamov. End summary. -------------- NEW HEAD OF FINANCIAL POLICE ACADEMY -------------- ¶2. (U) Chairman of the Agency on Combating Economic and Corruption Crimes (the Financial Police),Sarybai Kalmurzayev, appointed Ramazan Tleuhan to head the Financial Police Academy on March 29. Since February 2006, Tleuhan worked as the Head of the Department on Combating Economic and Corruption Crimes in Western Kazakhstan Region (WKR). Prior to that Tleuhan was the Head of the Department on Detection and Prevention of Corruption Cases of the Financial Police. In previous years Tleuhan worked in different positions including as the Advisor to the Chairman of the Financial Police in ¶2005. In 1978 he obtained his degree in law at Kazakhstani State University named after S. Kirov. -------------- TLEUHAN'S INVOLVEMENT IN CONTROVERSY -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In 2006, Tleuhan was involved in a conflict between three law enforcement agencies in the WKR that generated charges and counter-charges of corruption by each agency. The conflict caused considerable public stir and was widely covered by media. The conflict broke out between the regional departments of Financial Police on one side and the Procurator General's Office and the Committee for National Security (KNB) on the other. The KNB launched a criminal case against Tleukhan for misappropriation of state property after the Financial Police opened a criminal case against the Deputy Regional Procurator, the Uralsk Procurator and the head of the KNB department. Furthermore, then KNB department head Nurmuhamedov accused Tleukhan of links to criminal elements. As a result of this conflict, all the heads of the three law enforcement agencies in WKR were fired for failing to perform their official duties and for violating the law. (Note: The case is still under investigation so the facts regarding the guilt of the individuals have not been established. Given that the KNB is involved, the facts may never come to light. End note.) -------------- KOGAMOV MOVES TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL -------------- ¶4. (U) Colonel of Financial Police Marat Kogamov became the Head of the Financial Police Academy in May 2001 and served in this post through June 2003. He was re-appointed in October 2004 and remained in the position until replaced by Tleuhan. He has now been appointed as a Senior Inspector of the Security Council of Kazakhstan. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) While post regrets the departure of Kogamov, an excellent interlocutor who actively advanced anti-money laundering and anti-corruption cooperation with the U.S., initial communication with Tleuhan gives hope that close cooperation with the Financial Police Academy will continue. ORDWAY