Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan’s former president, Islam Karimov, has been indicted on multiple corruption charges by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland. She now faces charges of money laundering, bribery, and active involvement in a criminal network. Karimova’s suspected illicit activities were initially reported in 2012, which led to a protracted investigation by the Swiss OAG. Jurist.
During the investigation, assets worth around 780 million Swiss francs were seized. Notably, The Office, a criminal organization which Karimova allegedly developed and directed between 2001 and 2013, came under scrutiny. The Office allegedly began its operations in Switzerland in 2005 for purportedly concealing capital resulting from its illegal dealings in Swiss bank accounts. The Swiss OAG stated that The Office conducted illegal activities akin to professional business, abiding by the necessary regulations, maintaining strict task distribution while resorting to both threats and force.
The Swiss OAG concluded its investigation by filing its charge sheet in the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) against Karimova and an unnamed former director of the Uzbek subsidiary of a Russian telecommunications firm. The latter has been accused of being one of the principal players in the operation, specifically regarding criminal activities within the Uzbek telecommunications industry.
These charges correspond to the term when her father was president. Karimova was a prominent figure who operated an entertainment channel, penned her own music, and worked at the UN office in Geneva. She refutes these charges, presently serving time in Uzbekistan for an embezzlement conviction.
It is now the responsibility of the FCC to provide further information as the case proceeds. In conjunction with the indictment, the Swiss OAG has also sought the confiscation of assets amounting to more than CHF 440 million in relation to The Office’s operations.