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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 8h

NEW: A superyacht management company once beneficially owned by the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich faced charges at a court in Cyprus today for allegedly failing to pay 26m euros tax and interest. The firm contested the bill for unpaid VAT for more than a decade: www.occrp.org/en/news/cypr...

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 12h

NEW: Like a modern-day fairytale, an ordinary Turkmenistan Airlines plane disappeared to the U.S. for a year — and returned with a serious glow-up fit for a royal.

Now the jet is being used by the daughter of the nation’s longtime ruler.

Take a look inside:

www.occrp.org/en/scoop/gol...

Gold Taps and Towel Racks: How a Plane Used by Turkmenistan’s Ruling Family Got a Royal Makeover

In authoritarian Turkmenistan, even a single airplane trip abroad is out of reach for most citizens. But the country’s ruling Berdimuhamedov family, which has held power across two generations,…

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 14h

Lawyers for Iraqi Kurdistan’s PM Masrour Barzani rejected any wrongdoing and said he had a “fervent commitment” to anti-corruption, and that it was reasonable for him to protect his privacy. They didn’t reply to questions about potential conflicts of interest.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 14h

Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family are well-connected in the U.S. — Joe Biden once reportedly said that he knew all the grandchildren’s names.

Leaked documents show that five brothers spent $100m+ on U.S. properties and luxury shopping.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 14h

Gold Taps and Towel Racks: How a Plane Used by Turkmenistan’s Ruling Family Got a Royal Makeover

www.occrp.org/en/scoop/gol...

Gold Taps and Towel Racks: How a Plane Used by Turkmenistan’s Ruling Family Got a Royal Makeover

In authoritarian Turkmenistan, even a single airplane trip abroad is out of reach for most citizens. But the country’s ruling Berdimuhamedov family, which has held power across two generations, recently...

www.occrp.org

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Reposted by Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Zack Kopplin @zackkopplin.bsky.social · 17h

This story took about two years of work for a team of reporters at the Government Accountability Project and OCCRP. It shows a serious issue with the American corporate system that allows people like the Barzani family to hide money in the United States using American companies

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

In 2007, an employee of Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family wrote to a U.S. lawyer with a problem.

Two Barzani brothers had bought properties in the U.S. — but they were concerned that this information was public.

So the lawyer looked to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 15h

The jury said it was “particularly impressed by OCCRP's collaborations, such as the partnership with Boston Globe Media that revealed financial mismanagement by a major hospital chain”. You can learn more about this collaboration here: www.occrp.org/en/project/t...

The Steward Files

At its height, Steward Health Care ran more than 30 private hospitals across the U.S. helmed by an ambitious CEO who touted a vision of high-quality cost-effective medical services. But as Steward exp...

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 15h

The University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism @merrillcollege.bsky.social has selected OCCRP as the 2025 winner of the Maria Ressa Prize for Courage in Investigative Reporting merrill.umd.edu/articles/mer...

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 15h

Rallies resume on Thursday despite signs the government is ready to tackle corruption

www.occrp.org/en/news/amne...

Amnesty Slams Morocco for “Excessive Force” as Anti-Corruption Protests Resume

Rallies resume on Thursday despite signs the government is ready to tackle corruption

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 16h

A new mosque and Uyghur cultural center in London is owned by the son of a businessman who colluded with corrupt officials to dominate the flow of Chinese imports into Central Asia.

www.occrp.org/en/scoop/son...

Son of Alleged Smuggling Tycoon Spent $3 Million on London Mosque

The Satuq Bughra Khan mosque in Palmers Green is also a Uyghur cultural and educational center. The owner’s family is implicated in vast corruption in Central Asia.

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 16h

Leaked data shows Ling Seng Hok bought two luxury properties in Dubai. A couple years later, he was arrested in the U.K. for moving proceeds from a massive investment scam in China.

www.occrp.org/en/news/excl...

EXCLUSIVE: Defendant in Record UK Crypto Seizure Case Bought Dubai Properties

Leaked data shows Ling Seng Hok bought two luxury properties in Dubai. A couple years later, he was arrested in the U.K. for moving proceeds from a massive investment scam in China.

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 16h

European Prosecutors Order Raids in Croatia Over Misuse of EU Funds

www.occrp.org/en/news/euro...

European Prosecutors Order Raids in Croatia Over Misuse of EU Funds

Related Reporting

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 17h

The move targets Serbia’s largest energy company, majority-owned by Russia’s Gazprom Neft, increasing pressure on Belgrade to reduce its reliance on Moscow.

www.occrp.org/en/news/us-s...

U.S. Sanctions on Serbian Oil Giant NIS Take Effect Despite Expected Delay

The move targets Serbia’s largest energy company, majority-owned by Russia’s Gazprom Neft, increasing pressure on Belgrade to reduce its reliance on Moscow.

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 19h

NEW: Cyprus court begins tax case involving superyacht firm that was ultimately owned by Roman Abramovich. The firm contested the 14 million-euro bill for unpaid VAT for more than a decade — as interest and additional tax added another 12 million euros: www.occrp.org/en/news/cypr...

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 20h

The first hearing was held today involving a company accused of failing to pay 26 million euros in taxes and interest for superyachts once used by Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire sanctioned for his ties to the Kremlin.

www.occrp.org/en/news/cypr...

Cyprus Court Case Kicks Off Involving Superyacht Firm That Was Ultimately Owned by Abramovich

The first hearing was held today involving a company accused of failing to pay 26 million euros in taxes and interest for superyachts once used by Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire sanctioned for...

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

Dive into the Barzanis’ luxury lifestyles — and the sources of their spending — in our investigation with @govacctproj.bsky.social

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

OCCRP repeatedly requested comment from the other four Barzani brothers, both directly and through various lawyers, as well as from Golden Eagle Global and the Kurdish government. None replied.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

The lawyers also said that there is “nothing unlawful about the ownership of property in other jurisdictions”, and that it is “neither uncommon nor unreasonable for wealthy, high profile individuals to protect their privacy and security.”

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

Lawyers for Masrour Barzani, Iraqi Kurdistan’s prime minister, said he “vehemently rejects” any wrongdoing. They didn’t respond to questions about potential conflicts of interest.

The lawyers added that Barzani’s “fervent commitment” to anti-corruption and anti-terrorism is a “matter of record”.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

The Barzanis have positioned themselves as close U.S. allies and are well-connected in Washington D.C.

Our findings raise questions about possible conflicts of interest over their ties to Golden Eagle Global.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

Kurdish conglomerate Golden Eagle Global, working in sectors from construction to U.S. military contracts, has no public ownership ties to the Barzanis.

But leaked emails and docs suggest it was controlled by Mustafa Barzani, bankrolling millions of dollars of personal spending.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

Leaked docs reveal that, between 2005 and 2019, four sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president Masoud Barzani bought over $100m in U.S. properties.

At least some of the money came from Kurdish firms controlled by two brothers, leaked records suggest.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

Mansions, Horses, and Designer Bags: How the Ruling Family of Iraqi Kurdistan Splurged in the U.S.

The five sons of Iraqi Kurdistan’s founding president acquired real estate across the United States and went on luxury shopping sprees. At least some of the money came from major Kurdish…

www.occrp.org

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

The law firm had a plan to keep the Barzanis’ names “off of the public records.”

Each of the five brothers would own an offshore firm named after a pirate from the movie series.

These companies would then anonymously own U.S. companies that held the property deeds.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

In 2007, an employee of Iraqi Kurdistan’s ruling Barzani family wrote to a U.S. lawyer with a problem.

Two Barzani brothers had bought properties in the U.S. — but they were concerned that this information was public.

So the lawyer looked to the Pirates of the Caribbean.

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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project @occrp.org · 1d

Jail Chief Linked to Ivanishvili Aide’s Beating Found Dead in Tbilisi

www.occrp.org/en/news/jail...

Jail Chief Linked to Ivanishvili Aide’s Beating Found Dead in Tbilisi

A former Georgian prison chief has been found dead amid an ongoing investigation into the alleged beating of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s former ally Giorgi Bachiashvili’s in prison. His death...

www.occrp.org

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