THE AMERICA ONE NEWS
Jun 1, 2025  |  
0
 | Remer,MN
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET 
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge.
Sponsor:  QWIKET: Elevate your fantasy game! Interactive Sports Knowledge and Reasoning Support for Fantasy Sports and Betting Enthusiasts.
back  
topic
NY Post
New York Post
28 Sep 2023


NextImg:‘Princess of Uzbekistan’ accused of running international crime org, laundering money

The so-called “Princess of Uzbekistan” has been accused by Swiss authorities of leading an international crime organization that laundered hundreds of millions of dollars.

Gulnara Karimova — a socialite a daughter of former dictator Islam Karimov — has been accused of stealing hundreds of millions from Uzbekistan and bribing executives and global government officials, according to the Financial Times.

Karimova, 51, has been in an Uzbek prison since 2019 and was indicted in Switzerland Thursday on charges of heading the alleged crime syndicate.

She allegedly laundered the money through various companies and bank accounts that were based in the Swiss country.

The former UN diplomat’s organization is allegedly known as “The Office,” according to Swiss authorities, and was made up of more than 100 legitimate companies that were secretly working to hide stolen money to enrich its members, The Times reported.

Karimova had immunity from prosecution for years due to her status as a diplomat, where she traveled the world, promoting her lavish lifestyle and famous friends.

Gulnara Karimova, 51 – who is currently imprisoned in Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital – has been indicted in Switzerland Thursday on charges of being an alleged crime syndicate.
Getty Images

The central hub for the crime organization — which allegedly started in 2005 — was reportedly a Swiss company called Zeromax, which ceased operations in 2010. Zeromax’s creditors sued the auditor EY after years of unusual activities were found on the company’s account, including millions spent on jewels and luxury medical treatments, according to the Financial Times.

The former fashion designer allegedly used safety deposit boxes at Lombard Odier — a Swiss banking company — to house diamonds and gemstones worth millions. In addition, more than 400 million francs, or roughly $440 million, of assets in Karimova’s name are still frozen at the bank, The Times reported.

The bank is also being investigated for Karimova’s assets, on “suspicion of failing to exercise sufficient diligence in financial transactions and aggravated money laundering.”

Gulnara Karimova in 2010.
Karimova is accused of stealing hundreds of millions from Uzbekistan and bribing executives and global government officials
Getty Images

Karimova has denied the charges. Her Geneva-based lawyer, Grégoire Mangeat, said the once-socialite “contests all the charges and will fight for her acquittal.”

“The criminal organization theory is totally disputed. It was pulled out of a hat by the Swiss prosecutors only a year ago, 10 years after the start of their investigation,” he said, according to the Financial Times. “Our client Gulnara Karimova has been held in arbitrary detention for almost 10 years. She has no indication of how much longer she will have to spend in prison in Uzbekistan.”

Despite the “princess'” denial, Swiss prosecutors argued her organization “conducted its criminal activities as a professional business, complying with mandatory regulations and observing a strict allocation of tasks, while also resorting to violence and intimidation.”

Switzerland began investigating her after her father died in 2016, causing her to lose her diplomatic immunity.

Karimova was also placed on house arrest in 2013 after a political shift in the Central Asia country and was convicted in 2017 of embezzlement in her home country, The Times reported.

Since then, her lawyers have said she has been tortured and deprived of basic rights.