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The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (BA) has filed charges against Gulnara Karimova and another suspect at the Federal Criminal Court. She accuses the daughter of the ex-president of Uzbekistan and him of being involved in a criminal organization.

According to the indictment, Karimova and the ex-director of a Russian telecommunications company in Uzbekistan were involved in the criminal organization.

As the BA announced on Thursday after completing its criminal investigation, the crimes spanned a period from 2005 to 2013. The allegations of involvement in the criminal organization include money laundering, bribery of foreign officials and falsification of documents.

As a UN diplomat, she was initially immune

The BA expanded the criminal investigation against Karimova and several people under her supervision between 2012 and 2014. Karimova’s immunity had previously been lifted in connection with her diplomatic work at the United Nations in Geneva.

Between 2018 and 2021, as part of the investigation, the BA convicted several people with criminal warrants for money laundering and forgery. They seized more than 340 million francs for repatriation to Uzbekistan.

According to the information, assets worth more than 440 million francs are currently blocked in the criminal proceedings against Karimova and the second defendant.

Professional organization

According to the indictment, Karimova is alleged to have created and led a criminal, hierarchically structured organization called ‘Office’ from at least 2001 to 2013. The criminal network consisted of several dozen people and approximately one hundred companies.

The organization started in Switzerland in 2005. In particular, she hid money from criminal activities in bank accounts, safes and real estate. According to the BA’s findings, the organization behaved as a professional company.

The actors followed binding rules and a strict division of labor. They resorted to violence and intimidation.

Bribery for telecom contracts

Karimova and her accomplices enriched themselves through Uzbekistan’s telecommunications industry, which grew rapidly in the 2000s. Companies that wanted to participate had to pay bribes to ‘office companies’ and Karimova respectively.

Karimova benefited from her status as the daughter of then-president Islam Karimov and as an Uzbek official. She had unlimited influence over the country’s officials. According to the indictment, the corruption funds were distributed through complex organizations and ultimately ended up in ‘office accounts’, mainly in Switzerland.

The owners were front men to hide the real owner, Karimova. In total, the BA has seized 780 million francs in bank deposits, real estate, cash and valuables from safes.

International case

The international scope prompted many states to conduct their own investigations based on information from the BA. Criminal proceedings have been opened in Sweden, France, Norway, the Netherlands and Great Britain. Court decisions are available in Switzerland and abroad.

The BA has requested or received legal assistance from 19 countries in the process. In the complaint, the BA demands the seizure of the blocked 440 million francs. The criminal proceedings for suspected lack of care against the private bank Odier & Co. and against strangers is still ongoing.

The presumption of innocence applies until the final verdict. On September 11, Switzerland and Uzbekistan signed a legally non-binding agreement to return $131 million already seized and other blocked funds from the Karimova case.

(hah/sda)