Victim of scammers: Firms and millions in debt registered to a Kyrgyz woman in RK

A routine business trip to Kazakhstan turned into a multi-month ordeal for Bishkek resident Zarina Rahmatova, who discovered she is implicated in a massive debt scheme. Rahmatova traveled to Kazakhstan in late April to purchase equipment for her podiatry business, only to be informed at the border that she was subject to restrictions.

Further investigation revealed that four limited liability companies (LLPs) were registered in her name in Kazakhstan, businesses she claims to have no knowledge of. These registrations have resulted in substantial financial liabilities, including approximately 100 million tenge in tax obligations. Adding to her distress, one of the companies is pursuing a lawsuit to recover tens of millions of tenge from her.

Rahmatova insists she has never conducted business in Kazakhstan, signed any relevant documents, or registered with state authorities. She states she does not even possess a Kazakh bank card. Crucially, she provides evidence of her whereabouts during the alleged registration periods, indicating she was in Russia or Turkey at the time, supported by border crossing records.

Her legal representative, Aiganym Yerkenkyzy from the Almaty Regional Bar Association, is spearheading the defense. According to Yerkenkyzy, the companies were allegedly established using a copy of Rahmatova's foreign passport. A power of attorney was then forged, followed by the acquisition of a taxpayer identification number and an electronic digital signature, enabling the registration of the four legal entities. Yerkenkyzy noted that the signatures on these documents do not belong to Rahmatova and that the power of attorney itself raises numerous questions regarding its validity.