FRANCE- MARCH 2022

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In 2013, following a request for mutual legal assistance from Switzerland, French Justice opened a judicial investigation against Gulnara Karimova for money laundering in connection with bribery offences.

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Six years later, on July 9th 2019, a French Court reached a final decision (decision, case no. 13 044 072045) in G. Karimova’s case by approving a comparution avec reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité, a sort of French guilty plea, concluded between the French Public Prosecutor Office and three French companies that recognized having laundered proceeds of corruption in the name of and on behalf of G. Karimova. The Court decision ordered the confiscation of three real estate properties (an 800 square meters duplex in Paris, a chateau near Paris and a villa in the French Riviera). 

In application of UNCAC article 53.b, the Court decision granted the Government of Uzbekistan the status of civil party, hence recognizing it as a victim and compensating its harm. The Government of Uzbekistan has been awarded more than EUR 60 million (EUR 60.285.000,000) corresponding to the approximative amount of the three confiscated real-estate properties. However, note that allegations have been raised regarding the mansion and the castle being sold under their estimated price.

In June 2020, following the sale of the Parisian duplex French authorities proceeded to the restitution of the first tranche of EUR 10 million to the Government of Uzbekistan. The restitution process of the second tranche is currently ongoing – the chateau has been sold in January 2021 for EUR 10 million.