The Belgian government has announced its intention to return $108mn to Uzbekistan, seized during an investigation into corruption and money laundering crimes. This decision follows a request from the Brussels prosecutor’s office, which had earlier confiscated a total of $200mn linked to illicit activities.
The funds were seized as part of an investigation into a series of corruption-related crimes, including illegal commissions connected to telecommunications contracts and money laundering.
While the specific identities of those involved in these crimes remain undisclosed, it is known that the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan has been actively pursuing the return of assets tied to Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan’s former president, and the criminal group she allegedly led.
On March 28, the Brussels Public Prosecutor’s Office asked the Center for the Confiscation and Management of Criminal Assets (COIV) to transfer $108mn to Belgium’s state budget. This decision comes after the assets were fully confiscated for the benefit of the Belgian state.
The investigation began following a formal request from Uzbekistan's justice authorities for international legal assistance. The Brussels prosecutor's office confirmed that, based on an appeal under the UN Convention against Corruption, a total of $200mn was seized in Belgium at the request of Uzbekistan’s government.
The Brussels court later ruled that the seized funds, including accrued interest, would be shared between Belgium and Uzbekistan. The court decided to send $108mn to Uzbekistan as part of this agreement.
Although the exact criminal case linked to the confiscated assets remains undisclosed, the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan confirmed that the work to return these funds is ongoing.
In a statement from 2022, the Uzbek Ministry of Justice revealed that Karimova and her group had assets in Belgium, and cooperation had been established between Uzbekistan and Belgian law enforcement agencies to facilitate their return.
The total value of the assets illegally acquired and transferred out of Uzbekistan by Karimova and her associates is estimated to be around $1.4bn.
Uzbekistan and Switzerland previously reached an agreement to repatriate around $182mn to Uzbekistan, which was confiscated from Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the country’s first president.
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