Tajikistan Politician Says Someone Else Opened His Account

In response to revelations that he sooner or later stored hundreds of thousands in a checking account in Switzerland, a Tajikistan politician and alleged mafia kingpin claimed that he was not absolutely acutely aware when his account was initially opened by an unidentified businessman.

Rohbar at residence along with his spouse, well-known Tajik singer Firuza Alifova. (Photograph: Firuza Alifova / Instagram, OCCRP)Qosim Rohbar is alleged to have at one level taken close to whole financial management over Tajikistan’s Sughd province via bribery and racketeering. He finally earned the repute of a mafia kingpin, in response to a 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable.

The sources of Rohbar’s fortune are troublesome to hint, however glimpses into his wealth had been revealed via pictures of his household’s luxurious properties posted by his spouse.

Banking knowledge that was leaked to journalists present that between 2004 and 2011 his Credit score Suisse account held a stability of CHF 8.8 million (US$8.5 million) at its peak.

Rohbar reportedly confirmed little concern to the Suisse Secrets and techniques revelations, stating that “I didn’t take note of all this as a result of I’ve nothing to cover. I am not afraid of anybody and I’ve by no means been to Switzerland,” in response to Asia-Plus.

He stated that the explanation for the account’s existence dated again to 1997 when he was wounded in a terrorist assault in Khujand. He goes on to assert that, in 2001, he went to Vienna for therapy however that European clinics didn’t settle for sufferers and not using a European checking account.

It’s at this level that Rohbar accuses an unnamed businessman of bringing him a number of paperwork to signal whereas he was underneath the results of anesthesia and never absolutely acutely aware.

After the account with Credit score Suisse was opened, it was in reality the businessman who transferred the funds, he claims.

“I’ve by no means made a financial institution switch via this account,” Rohbar stated in his protection. “My solely mistake was that I selected an unscrupulous companion and guarantor.”

Regardless, throughout that interval, Tajikistan regulation forbade public servants from opening accounts with banks exterior of the nation.

“This regulation was amended a number of instances, however, a method or one other, civil servants had been all the time forbidden to have financial institution accounts overseas or have interaction in entrepreneurship,” Shokirjon Khakimov, a Tajik lawyer affiliated with the opposition Social Democratic Celebration, instructed OCCRP.

Whereas a loophole within the regulation between 2006 and 2008 might have granted Rohbar a quick window to legally maintain an account with Credit score Suisse, in any respect different closing dates he would have been forbidden to take action.

The disclosures into Rohbar’s abroad hundreds of thousands raised questions regarding their origins. In 2016, the pinnacle of Tajikistan’s central financial institution acknowledged that he solely earned roughly $640 a month, which on the time was reportedly in step with different high-ranking state positions.