193:, personally met with him and other members of Kožený's investors group in Baku and encouraged them to buy vouchers from citizens. Shortly after the first part of the interview with Viktor Kožený was aired, the newspaper "Alternativ," with close ties to the Azerbaijan President's Office, reacted promptly, claiming that President Aliyev or his son Ilham never met with Kožený. The paper admitted Kožený may have been tricked by some officials, but rejected his claim that President Aliev made any commitments to his group. Kožený faced a serious legal action by famed
27:
97:
In
February 2008 a court case against him and his partner Boris Vostrý started at Prague Municipal Court. Kožený has remained in the Bahamas and has not been attending the trial. He asked the prosecution to publish the charges on the Internet, which the state prosecutor has refused to do. His defense
221:, appeared in a US court in 2009. The court accepted it to be proven that Kožený and his entourage bribed the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, his son Ilham Aliyev, and two other high-ranking Azerbaijani officials. According to the indictment, the total amount of bribes reached USD 11
144:
Soon thousands of Czechs were signing over their voucher books to "Harvard", who promised a 1000% rate of return on investment. Harvard Funds bought shares in a number of companies, stripped assets and transferred the money abroad to offshore
109:
by US authorities. The defendant in the case is a company owned beneficially by Kožený's mother, Jitka
Chvatik. Assets of the company have been refrozen by the court after the company lost an appeal in 2014. The case is still pending.
480:
resident Viktor Kožený, who faces 17 counts of fraud-related charges in the U.S., will either have to surrender to U.S. authorities or face extradition, according to a New York City district attorney." (Bahamas News, June 9,
105:. In 2012, the judgment was reaffirmed by the High Court in Prague with minor changes. An enforcement action based on this judgement has been lodged by the fraud victim in New York, targeting assets
91:
and the USA. An international warrant has been issued for Kožený, who in the early 1990s ran one of the great scams of the post-Communist era. By the media he is often called "the pirate of Prague".
490:
181:. The Azerbaijan government changed its mind on privatization, but Kožený did not return the money and instead ran to the Bahamas. Viktor Kožený in an exclusive interview with
149:
like the
Bahamas. This scam turned out to be a huge success for Kožený and those working with him, who allegedly stole millions of dollars from investors in his funds.
189:
to fulfill his promises made in 1997–1998 concerning the privatization program in his country. According to Kožený, Heydar Aliyev and his son and current president,
101:
In 2010, Kožený was convicted of fraud by a Czech court and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and ordered to pay damages equal to hundreds of millions in
300:
619:
574:
463:
579:
234:
79:
in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in economics. However, he cannot be located in the
Harvard Alumni directory as of 2015. Viktor Kožený is an
87:
in 2005 but released in 2007. He currently lives in a gated community in the
Bahamas. Efforts to bring him to justice stem from both the
584:
604:
129:, Czech state assets were supposed to be handed over to Czech citizens through a system of vouchers, which could then be used to buy
614:
594:
441:
207:
599:
113:
As of
January 2019, Kožený is still internationally wanted by the Czech and US criminal justice. He is effectively confined to
527:
137:
were founded, most successfully the one started by Kožený, Harvard
Capital and Consulting (which has no affiliation with
589:
399:
326:
254:
194:
374:
94:
He was imprisoned after a US extradition request, but that was refused by
Bahaman authorities in October 2007.
569:
502:
206:
The
Bahamian authorities later refused to turn Kožený over to the US authorities upon a 2012 ruling of the
327:"Another U.S. Whistleblower Behind Bars? Investor Jailed After Exposing Corrupt Azerbaijani Oil Deal"
218:
423:
375:"National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA. v. Kozeny, 115 F. Supp. 2d 1243 (D. Colo. 2000)"
609:
126:
564:
102:
352:
8:
178:
80:
40:
Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
427:
169:, and Kožený offered his services. U.S. investors handed their money to him, over $ 400
138:
76:
457:
197:
185:
of the RFE/RL Azerbaijani
Service on 17 July 2001 urged then Azerbaijani President
548:
106:
88:
72:
65:
200:, who had filed an indictment in New York for his bribery of Azeri officials.
558:
186:
162:
211:
190:
182:
134:
301:"The Maverick: The spectacular rise and fall of a hyperactive privatiser"
114:
542:
477:
158:
146:
442:"Mirza Khazar: Viktor Kožený argues President Aliev Made Promises"
84:
130:
98:
counsel later published the indictment upon order from Kožený.
61:
503:"Kozeny Wins In Privy Council - The FCPA Blog - The FCPA Blog"
166:
157:
In 1994, Kožený wanted to conduct a similar transaction in
439:
174:
424:
Executive Guilty of Conspiracy in Foreign Bribery Case
556:
530:. Baku Research Institute. Retrieved 2021-08-23.
528:Azerbaijan and International Corruption Scandals
440:Mirza Khazar Sep 24, 2006 (24 September 2006).
235:List of fugitives from justice who disappeared
120:
203:His trial for the scam began on 1 June 2010.
400:"Kozeny suffers $ 22m asset seizure reverse"
294:
292:
462:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
290:
288:
286:
284:
282:
280:
278:
276:
274:
272:
491:How Bribery Case Could Scupper U.S. Policy
430:. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2020
16:Czech-born fugitive financier (born 1963)
269:
252:
298:
620:Prisoners and detainees of the Bahamas
575:Fugitives wanted by the Czech Republic
557:
173:million in total from clients such as
580:Fugitives wanted by the United States
551:of Ochranné Sdružení Malých Akcionářů
253:Sullivan, Brian K. (26 April 2006).
210:which stated the offence was not an
20:
13:
152:
14:
631:
585:Fugitives wanted on fraud charges
536:
605:Irish expatriates in the Bahamas
25:
615:Naturalised citizens of Ireland
521:
495:
484:
161:. The country was considering
595:Irish people imprisoned abroad
545:of Harvard industrial holdings
470:
433:
417:
392:
367:
345:
319:
299:Johnson, Luke (2 April 2006).
246:
117:, holding his Irish passport.
1:
600:Irish people of Czech descent
240:
68:) is a fugitive financier.
7:
228:
195:Manhattan District Attorney
121:Czech voucher privatization
10:
636:
217:However Kožený's partner,
165:its state run oil company
83:citizen imprisoned in the
590:Harvard University alumni
444:. En.mirzexezerinsesi.net
34:This article needs to be
133:in companies. However
60:(born 28 June 1963 in
127:voucher privatization
75:, he graduated from
570:Fugitive financiers
305:The Daily Telegraph
179:Columbia University
428:The New York Times
404:www.tribune242.com
139:Harvard University
333:. 15 October 2013
198:Robert Morgenthau
55:
54:
627:
531:
525:
519:
518:
516:
514:
507:www.fcpablog.com
499:
493:
488:
482:
474:
468:
467:
461:
453:
451:
449:
437:
431:
421:
415:
414:
412:
410:
396:
390:
389:
387:
385:
371:
365:
364:
362:
360:
355:. Ceskenoviny.cz
353:"Ceskenoviny.cz"
349:
343:
342:
340:
338:
323:
317:
316:
314:
312:
296:
267:
266:
264:
262:
250:
224:
172:
50:
47:
41:
29:
28:
21:
635:
634:
630:
629:
628:
626:
625:
624:
555:
554:
539:
534:
526:
522:
512:
510:
509:. 29 March 2012
501:
500:
496:
489:
485:
475:
471:
455:
454:
447:
445:
438:
434:
422:
418:
408:
406:
398:
397:
393:
383:
381:
373:
372:
368:
358:
356:
351:
350:
346:
336:
334:
325:
324:
320:
310:
308:
297:
270:
260:
258:
255:"Bloomberg.com"
251:
247:
243:
231:
222:
219:Frederic Bourke
170:
155:
153:Azerbaijan scam
123:
51:
45:
42:
39:
30:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
633:
623:
622:
617:
612:
607:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
577:
572:
567:
553:
552:
546:
538:
537:External links
535:
533:
532:
520:
494:
483:
469:
432:
416:
391:
366:
344:
331:Democracy Now!
318:
268:
244:
242:
239:
238:
237:
230:
227:
154:
151:
122:
119:
89:Czech Republic
73:Bloomberg News
66:Czechoslovakia
53:
52:
33:
31:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
632:
621:
618:
616:
613:
611:
610:Living people
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
563:
562:
560:
550:
549:Official site
547:
544:
543:Official site
541:
540:
529:
524:
508:
504:
498:
492:
487:
479:
473:
465:
459:
443:
436:
429:
425:
420:
405:
401:
395:
380:
376:
370:
354:
348:
332:
328:
322:
306:
302:
295:
293:
291:
289:
287:
285:
283:
281:
279:
277:
275:
273:
256:
249:
245:
236:
233:
232:
226:
220:
215:
213:
209:
208:Privy Council
204:
201:
199:
196:
192:
188:
187:Heydar Aliyev
184:
180:
176:
168:
164:
160:
150:
148:
142:
140:
136:
132:
128:
118:
116:
111:
108:
104:
99:
95:
92:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
71:According to
69:
67:
63:
59:
58:Viktor Kožený
49:
46:November 2014
37:
32:
23:
22:
19:
523:
511:. Retrieved
506:
497:
486:
472:
446:. Retrieved
435:
419:
407:. Retrieved
403:
394:
382:. Retrieved
378:
369:
357:. Retrieved
347:
335:. Retrieved
330:
321:
309:. Retrieved
304:
259:. Retrieved
248:
216:
212:extraditable
205:
202:
191:Ilham Aliyev
183:Mirza Khazar
156:
143:
135:mutual funds
124:
112:
100:
96:
93:
70:
57:
56:
43:
35:
18:
565:1963 births
257:. Bloomberg
163:privatizing
125:During the
115:The Bahamas
559:Categories
513:28 January
478:Lyford Cay
409:28 January
384:11 October
379:Justia Law
337:21 October
241:References
159:Azerbaijan
147:tax havens
225:million.
458:cite web
448:14 April
359:14 April
261:14 April
229:See also
311:17 July
85:Bahamas
77:Harvard
36:updated
223:
171:
131:shares
107:frozen
62:Prague
481:2005)
214:one.
167:SOCAR
81:Irish
515:2019
464:link
450:2011
411:2019
386:2023
361:2011
339:2013
313:2012
307:. UK
263:2011
177:and
175:AIG
141:).
103:USD
561::
505:.
460:}}
456:{{
426:.
402:.
377:.
329:.
303:.
271:^
64:,
517:.
476:"
466:)
452:.
413:.
388:.
363:.
341:.
315:.
265:.
48:)
44:(
38:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.