Transparency International demands probe into Aliyev bribery in Europe, sanction perpetrators

Transparency International, the global anti-corruption organisation, is calling for an investigation into the Azerbaijani briberies of European politicians, and to sanction the perpetrators.

Transparency International issued a statement after the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project released the results of a new investigation regarding the illicit activities of Azerbaijan’s ruling elite in Europe.

Investigative reporters from six countries (Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany , UK and US) revelaed that the Aliyev family operated a secret $2.8bn “slush fund” for two years to bribe European politicians and make luxury purchases.

“It is shocking to see that some politicians at respected bodies like the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe are up for sale and are willing to turn a blind eye to corruption and human rights abuses for cash. They must be sanctioned and we will put pressure on the authorities to take action. The story does not end here,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

“These investigations show that even in countries where corruption risks are considered low like Denmark, which ranks at the top of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, the regulatory bodies are still behind in enforce anti-money laundering legislation,” added Ugaz.

Transparency International said it will Present evidence to the special corruption investigative group at PACE on 7 September and ask for a full, transparent investigation.

The secret fund, nicknamed the Azerbaijan Laundromat, operated for two years until 2014, according to the investigation, carried out by a consortium of European newspapers and published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The money was allegedly channelled through four UK-based opaque companies.

People said to have been paid include European politicians who adopted a favourable attitude to the government.

The origin of the money was unclear, the report said, but there was “ample evidence of its connection to the family of President Ilham Aliyev”.

At the time the scheme took place, Azerbaijan was being accused of systematic corruption, vote-rigging and abuses, including the jailing of opposition politicians, human rights activists and journalists.

Much of the money was said to have been paid to lobbyists, journalists, politicians and businessmen.

According to the OCCRP, the scheme seemed to have been successful in, for example, persuading the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe to vote against a report critical of Azerbaijan in 2013.

The 47-member council – not part of the European Union – monitors compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, and judges in Strasbourg enforce it.

The vote is currently under investigation and a report is expected by the end of the year.