Gulnara Karimova (Courtesy of Fashion TV via YouTube)The Uzbek prosecutor-general’s office has said a person named “Karimova G.” is a suspect in a case against an organized criminal group.
“Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency cited an unnamed source in the Uzbek government that mentioned Karimova G. is Gulnara Karimova — the eldest daughter of Uzbek President Islam Karimov,” RFE/RL reported Monday.
Karimova, 42, was living in $20 million mansion in Switzerland until late last year when Uzbek dissidents occupied the house. She’s now reported to be in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.
“In a statement issued on September 8, the Uzbek prosecutor-general’s office said that the criminal group’s illegal activities were coordinated by Sodiqov N. and Madumarov R.,” RFE/RL said.
Two close associates of Karimova, including one named Rustam Madumarov, were reportedly sentenced in May to long prison terms for financial crimes.
The occupiers of Karimova’s Geneva mansion claimed to have found more than 60 paintings and objects pilfered from Uzbekistan’s state art museums. Photos of some of the art treasures were posted online.
Documents cited in May by Swedish investigative journalists appeared to show evidence of $300 million in bribes to Karimova from Swedish telecom giant TeliaSonera.
She once served as Uzbek’s ambassador to the United Nations. She also designs clothes and sometimes appears on the catwalk.
A leaked U.S. diplomatic cable from 2005 described Karimova as a “robber baron.”
She’s now rumored to be out of favor with her father.
According to the prosecutor-general’s statement reported Monday, the criminal group that includes “Karimova G.” is suspected of blackmail, extortion, forgery, and embezzlement.
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