Kazakhstan has uncovered the embezzlement of funds allocated to four projects aimed at producing innovative pasta products, with total damages estimated at 945 million tenge (approximately $2.12 million).

The projects received a total of 1.15 billion tenge (around $2.59 million) in government funding, Sputnik Kazakhstan reports.

The money was allocated to a company called Bal Halal. However, an investigation found that the equipment installed at the facilities was incapable of manufacturing the products specified in the project proposals.

Investigators also established that 736.4 million tenge (approximately $1.66 million) had been transferred out through affiliated companies.

The company's director has been taken into custody, while assets valued at 830 million tenge (around $1.87 million) have been seized.

The investigation is ongoing.