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Greetings From Amsterdam,
Our investigative reporting often takes us to far-flung corners of the globe that even geography buffs would struggle to locate on a map.
From obscurity, elites in these regions are able to amass illicit wealth without much fear of international scrutiny.
This week, we published an investigation about Nakhchivan, a secretive and repressive region often known as “Azerbaijan’s North Korea,” and its longtime ruling family.
We also have some troubling news to share about one of our Kyrgyz partners as well as some exciting job opportunities at the OCCRP network.
Now, for the latest in global crime and corruption:
** NEW INVESTIGATIONS
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🇦🇿 The Frontman for Nakhchivan’s Ruling Family ([link removed]) — A business empire in Georgia worth some $270 million appears to belong to the family of Vasif Talibov, who ruled the Azerbaijani region with an iron fist for decades.
On paper, the assets are owned by Turkish businessman Emir Uchar, a likely frontman for the Talibovs. He also has a partnership with Accor, a major French hospitality corporation.
❓ What is Nakhchivan? The autonomous republic is politically part of Azerbaijan, but is completely detached from the country, sitting between Turkey, Iran, Armenia.
Vasif Talibov ruled the Azeri exclave for 27 years until he abruptly resigned this past December amid a political crackdown by the central government in Baku.
🌐 The Big Picture: While dissidents opposing Vasif Talibov have been tortured and committed to psychiatric hospitals, his family has enjoyed enormous privilege and power in Nakhchivan. Yet, like many autocrats, the Talibovs opted to stash their wealth abroad.
This week’s investigation revealed their hidden assets in Georgia. Last year, we uncovered their secret Swiss bank accounts.
⚡ Impact: In light of our investigation, Accor said it is “currently reevaluating” its relationship with Uchar.
🤔 Our Data and Sources: This investigation is based on newly obtained Georgian property and corporate registry documents, including one showing that Uchar was granted power of attorney to buy a property for one of Vasif Talibov's sons.
>> Read the full story ([link removed])
** OCCRP UNIVERSITY
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➡️ Explaining “Proxies”: ([link removed]) If you want to hide a fortune, one key step involves keeping your name far away from it.
When investigating financial crime, our reporters routinely encounter politicians and crime bosses who hide behind “proxies,” people or legal entities that can be used to obscure the true owner of an asset.
>> Read the full explainer ([link removed])
➡️ Explaining SLAPPs: ([link removed]) OCCRP Co-Founder Paul Radu spoke with Al Jazeera about his personal experience battling a ‘strategic lawsuit against public participation,’ or SLAPP.
While the lawsuit against Paul is over, the OCCRP network currently faces 41 other frivolous lawsuits, aimed at silencing our work.
>> Watch the video ([link removed])
➡️ Explaining the Fight for “Beneficial Ownership” Information: ([link removed]) Uncovering illicit wealth in the EU will be significantly more difficult after a recent court ruling.
This past November, the European Court of Justice struck down a requirement for member states to make databases on company ownership publicly accessible.
OCCRP senior editors Julia Wallace and Ilya Lozovsky explain the impacts of this decision in this Politico op-ed.
>> Read the full explainer ([link removed])
Join the fight against corruption.
SUPPORT OCCRP ([link removed])
** THE OCCRP NETWORK
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🇰🇬 Radio Azattyk:Kyrgyzstan’s government is threatening to permanently ban ([link removed]) our Kyrgyz partner, which is part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s network, for its reporting on the country’s conflict with Tajikistan.
🇮🇹 IrpiMedia: Our Italian member center reports ([link removed]) on how many university students are struggling to pay for housing without proper rent-control regulations.
🇦🇲 Hetq.am: Our Armenian member center reports on Armenian officials ([link removed]) who have invested in infrastructure projects in neighboring Georgia, some of which environmentalists have criticized over their potential harm to wildlife.
** MORE CORRUPTION NEWS
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Sierra Leone’s president faces increasing skepticism ([link removed]) after his office was spared from a government financial audit.
European probes into Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salame ([link removed]) , who has been charged with illicit enrichment in his home country, are ramping up as investigators question witnesses in Beirut.
** MORE ORGANIZED CRIME NEWS
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Cameroonian authorities arrested an individual with a large quantity of human bones ([link removed]) , a growing trade that the country’s government is trying to eradicate.
An Azeri mafia enforcer was reportedly arrested by Czech police ([link removed]) for alleged involvement in murders and kidnappings.
** OCCRP IS HIRING
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Social Media Editor: ([link removed]) We’re looking for a journalist with a passion for digital storytelling who can craft intelligent, compelling social media campaigns that highlight our investigations.
DevOps Engineer: ([link removed]) We’re looking for a senior level engineer to join our small infrastructure team, which serves the entire OCCRP network.
Full Stack Django Developer: ([link removed]) Weʼre looking for a Python/Django engineer to work on improving our ID platform for researchers and journalists.
P.S. Thank you for reading the OCCRP newsletter. Feel free to reply with any feedback.
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