Renowned blogger Kirill Pavlov has exposed intricate schemes involving the misappropriation of budgetary funds under the guise of space exploration within Kazakhstan.
Through his Telegram channel, Pavlov sheds light on the activities of the national space trading company, Kazakhstan Gharysh Sapary (KGS), alleging that it secures tenders from various sources, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Republican Center for Phytosanitary, and multiple regional akimats (administrations), all while claiming to operate based on data from its own satellites.
Pavlov contends that KGS’s claim of working with satellite data is misleading. He argues that the images captured by Kazakhstani satellites offer a subpar visual experience.
Furthermore, he questions the need for KGS to purchase satellite images for 1.7 billion tenge in 2023 if the national satellites were genuinely operational. Notably, KGS paid $611,000 to the American company Maxar Intelligence Inc. for images and $940,000 to another American company, Planet Labs, for a subscription to the data from their satellite group, Data Access.
Criticism extends to KGS’s cadastral system, which, according to Pavlov, proves impractical, plagued by constant glitches, lack of up-to-date information, and restricted access. Regarding the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Pavlov reveals that, following the tragedy in Semey-Ormany, it was discovered that the country was purchasing free data from NASA, falsely justifying the cost through localization and coordinate decryption. Both the ministry and regional authorities allegedly exploit this situation for profit.
Pavlov also unveils financial irregularities related to the digitization of agricultural lands. He claims that 1.1 billion tenge was allocated from the State Investment Program to the Committee for Land Resources (KUZR), but only 550 million tenge was spent. The funds were reportedly used to acquire data from a sanctioned company, raising questions about the return of the remaining funds to KUZR. Additionally, Pavlov alleges that Chinese entities obtained comprehensive data on Kazakhstani agricultural lands using funds intended for this digitization process.
Expressing indignation, Pavlov condemns the audacity of selling free data to the country, especially when it results in the loss of lives. He criticizes the lack of proper analytics, the involvement of dubious intermediaries, and the overall mismanagement of public funds. Pavlov calls upon the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Accounting Committee, and the Antimonopoly Regulation and Control Agency to investigate these alleged irregularities, promising that answers will eventually emerge regarding who is backing the National Space Program. He concludes with a cautionary note, suggesting that those involved should be prepared to face the consequences.
