The UK's major fraud-fighting agency has confiscated three luxurious real estate properties owned by Gulnara Karimova in the country. The statement by the bureau reveals these as two apartments in Belgravia and a royal house in Surrey.
In October 2018, the Bureau filed a lawsuit to seize Karimova's British assets. On August 8, 2023, the UK Supreme Court upheld the lawsuit. The value of the confiscated assets is estimated at over £20 mn ($25.4 mn).
"Today we have unraveled a complex financial scheme involving multiple offshore accounts and companies to take control of these properties. This decision is the next step towards halting the flow of 'dirty' money from the UK," stated Lisa Osofsky, Director of the Fraud Enforcement Office.
According to the Bureau, Karimova received bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars from telecommunications companies between 2004 and 2012 in exchange for market access to Uzbekistan.
In March 2020, the Tashkent City Court sentenced Gulnara Karimova to 13 years and 4 months in prison on charges of forming a criminal group, fraud, and embezzlement of state funds. Currently, Karimova is serving her sentence in a correctional facility.
The total value of Gulnara Karimova's assets in Switzerland, France, the USA, and other countries is estimated to be nearly $1.4 bn.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Threads pages to keep up to date on world news.
Comments (0)