Daughter of former president of Uzbekistan indicted in bribery and money laundering case

Gulnara Karimova, an Uzbek citizen and the daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan, has been indicted by federal prosecutors in New York for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Karimova is alleged to have exercised influence of the government agency in charge of telecommunications regulation in Uzbekistan from 2002 to 2012 and to have accepted $865 million in bribes from at least three telecommunications companies. Another individual, Bekhzod Akhmedov, is charged in the same indictment with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, substantive FCPA violations, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Akhmedov, who served as general director of Uzdunrobita, the Uzbek subsidiary of Russian telecommunications giant Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS”), is alleged to have conspired with Karimova to solicit and facilitate corrupt payments, both in his role as general director of Uzdunrobita and as personal representative of Karimova.  Karimova is alleged to have used her influence over the Uzbek telecommunications authorities to secure lucrative contracts for the companies; and Akhmedov and Karimova are alleged to have conspired to launder their ill-gotten gains through the US financial system.

Indictment