# The scandal on money laundering made by Gulnara Karimova takes a turn



## afanasenko (Aug 30, 2012)

*The scandal on money laundering made by Gulnara Karimova takes a turn*​
 Money has no smell, - said Vespasian (Roman Emperor) to his son while imposing taxes for public lavatory. Nowadays money has no smell because they are being laundered. Currently, laundering of criminal incomes and their penetration to the legal economy is under observation in many countries and it correspond extremely dangerous occurrence. The legalization of money earned illegally, is a necessary condition for the operation of organized crime operation in economic sphere. The globalization of world economy and increasing effectiveness of capital markets permit for private individuals and organizations to relocate colossal sums of money in internal financial market as well as from one country to another.
The scandal connected with the arrest of two citizens of Uzbekistan in Switzerland, accused in money laundering process for the third party is going on. According to the sources Swiss prosecutors office has opened the case against four Uzbek citizens  Shohrukh Sabirov, Alisher Ergashev, Gayane Avakiyan, Gulnara Karimovas chief financial officer and one unnamed person, supposedly, Bekhzod Akhmedov, former chief manager of MTC-Uzbekistan company.
The institution of criminal proceeding against some other people indicates that Swiss prosecutors office has gained confirmative and comprehensive information that Gulnara Karimovas gang had dealt with laundering of illegally earned money through Lombard Odier bank. According to the informed sources Swiss law machinery were shocked by the amount of laundered funds and statements of the arrested Uzbek citizens about methods of Gulnara Karimovas business. Nowadays it is well known that exactly managers of Coca Cola Uzbekistan Company the most close to the body of the important personage are the conductors of her private financial operations in Europe and in the West in general. In connection with new facts of criminal case on money laundering on behalf of Gulnara Karimova the prosecutors office refused to release Shohrukh Sabirov and Alisher Ergashev on bail. It must be added that the specialists of FATF, international group engaged in fight against money laundering, are also involved in investigation.         
The information revealed in the computers of arrested ones in the course of investigation indicates that Gulnara Karimovas gang had been implementing a number of doubtful financial operations considered as money laundering using banks in offshore zones, as well as in UAE and Thailand, where relevant prosecutors requests were sent to. 
Indeed, according to the leaked information, the cells deposited for the name of mentioned above Gayane Avakiyan were revealed in some Swiss banks. There were bars of gold, copies of unique antiques, a big cash amount of Euro, dollar and frank in cash. The accounts and cells in banks that suspected to be connected to Gulnara Karimova are blocked nowadays. The fiscal agencies are going to clarify how big amount of bars of gold and jewelry came to Switzerland. The main version on this fact is that Gulnara Karimova uses diplomatic channels. As it is known, she is nominally managing the representative office of Uzbekistan at UN department in Geneva.
According to the information of Swiss media a main part of the facts connected with the investigation of this celebrated case is kept in secret. The stuff of Lombard Odier bank said that they are forced to keep confidentiality and render assistance to investigative powers. After that it was decided to keep main facts and information about ongoing and planned activities of investigatory group in secret. Though relevant organizations of Switzerland suppose that based on the information gained in the course of investigation on money laundering the fiscal agencies are going to bring  Gulnara Karimova and her closes (on whose names the accounts in Swiss banks were opened) to the prosecutors office for questioning. Otherwise the prosecutors office will announce Gulnara Karimova for international search on Interpols line and the request on her search will be indicated in Interpols web site as well as the request on search for Bekhzod Akhmedov, a former chief manager of MTC-Uzbekistan Company.
As one of the Internet publications indicate: Gulnara Karimova, a doctor of political sciences, Harvard alumna, a designer of jewelry and a singer, made a mistake, as her clumsy attack on chief manager of Russian sub-company MTC was the cause of investigation of her own wheeler-dealer finance. The Karimovs money in Geneva and in Berne will be dug thoroughly, deeply and relentlessly.
According to the results of investigation the information about wheeler-dealer finance and money laundering of Gulnara Karimovas gang will go public.

Vitaliy Afanasenko


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