An official accused of embezzling US$19.3 from the Tukrmensian National Bank is on her way to Russia for trial, according to reports emerging from Eurasianet.org.
The woman’s name is Aysoltan Niyazova, she is a former director of Moscow’s Index-Bank. Niyazova, who went on the run in 2003, is implicated in a rather complex and intriguing tale of dirty cash, involving several banks, cross border transfers and ghost hotels. See the Eurasianet story for the details. Some reports suggest she may also be related to the Turkmen former dictator Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov, although they cannot offer proof. Slavic names take an ‘a’ in the feminine form only, indicating daughter of or wife of. Niyazov is apparently a common name in Turkmenistan.
Niyazova is on Interpol’s most wanted list for a string of financial crimes including money laundering and as such should appear on most banks’ watch lists.
Financial Crime Asia 