TASHKENT (Podrobno.uz news agency) — The General Prosecutor’s Office of Uzbekistan confirmed that he is working to return part of the frozen funds belonging to Gulnara Karimova from Switzerland.

The press secretary of the Prosecutor General’s Office Surayo Rahmanova told Podrobno.uz: “This issue is now being resolved in cooperation with the Swiss prosecutors, and once it is finally decided, we will definitely make an official statement.”

Earlier, a number of Western media reported that the issue of returning some of the CHF800 mln (about $810 mln) belonging to the eldest daughter of the first president of Uzbekistan Gulnara Karimova and frozen in Swiss banks, has practically been resolved positively. The Swiss government has made sure that the true owner of frozen money is Uzbekistan and changes in the Uzbek government give both a legal and moral right to return this money to Uzbekistan, the source of the Uzbek service of Radio Liberty claimed.

The press service of the Swiss prosecutor’s office refused to disclose details of the case, citing the fact that “the criminal investigation is still ongoing.” The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland also did not comment, citing the fact that the investigation was not completed.

Gulnara Karimova’s House Cologny, Switzerland

(Photo: Google Maps)

Information on the fate of Gulnara Karimova
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan unveiled on July 28, 2017 on its official website, in August 2015 the court in Tashkent condemned Karimova to five years of restriction of freedom, having found her guilty of tax evasion, theft, extortion and destruction of offshore companies’ documentation.

Later in Uzbekistan, a new criminal case was opened against Gulnara Karimova. She was charged under such articles as fraud, concealment of foreign currency, violation of customs legislation and legalization of proceeds from crime.

The criminal group of Gulnara Karimova legalized assets in the territory of 12 foreign countries for more than $1.3 bln, €63.5 mln, £27.1 mln and CHF18.5 mln. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Switzerland has $777.8 mln funds, as well as villas in Colony worth CHF18.5 mln.

The total amount of damage to the interests of the state and citizens in the two specified criminal cases against Karimova are claimed to be 1,270 bln soums, equivalent to $1.6 bln.