Zamira Hajiyeva

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Zamira Hajiyeva
Born (1963-07-18) 18 July 1963 (age 60)
NationalityAzerbaijani
SpouseJahangir Hajiyev
Children2 sons, 1 daughter

Zamira Shirali qizi Hajiyeva (Azerbaijani: Zamirə Şirəli qızı Hacıyeva [zɑmiˈɾæ ʃiɾæˈli ɡɯˈzɯ hɑˈdʒɯjevɑ]; born 18 July 1963) is an Azerbaijani expatriate in the United Kingdom. She is married to Jahangir Hajiyev, a former chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan who has since been jailed there for financial crimes. In 2018 she became the first recipient of an unexplained wealth order under a new UK anti-corruption law. She was known as "Mrs A" during the legal proceedings before her identity was revealed.[1]

It was disclosed in court that Hajiyeva had spent £16.3 million at London's department store Harrods, as well as several other multi-million pound purchases – expenditure which the British authorities say is out of keeping with her husband's official salary. On 30 October 2018 she was arrested by British police acting on an extradition request from the Azerbaijani government. Her extradition was blocked on the grounds she will be unable to get a fair trial in her home country because the Azerbaijani judiciary is not independent of the Azerbaijani regime.[2][3]

Early life and family[edit]

Zamira Hajiyeva was born on 18 July 1963. During her first marriage, she had a daughter,[4] Leyla. In 1997 she married Jahangir Hajiyev, later the chairman of the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan from 2001 to March 2015. In October 2016, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and misappropriation of public funds.[1] The fraud is as much as £2.2 billion.[5]

The couple have two sons.[6] Leyla was recorded in court documents as having a £15 million share portfolio[7] and is married to Anar Mahmudov, the son of Eldar Mahmudov, Azerbaijan's former Security Minister.[8][9]

Kidnapping[edit]

In February 2005, Hajiyeva was kidnapped as she left the Magic Lady beauty salon in Baku, and held to ransom. Azerbaijan media and the BBC reported that the kidnap was carried out by the police officer Haji Mammadov (Hacı Məmmədov), chief operating officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and his bodyguard who were part of a criminal gang.[10][11][12] An operation codenamed Black Belt resulted in Hajiyeva's release in March of that year. Gunshots were fired during the operation and at least one person died.[13] Mammadov claimed during his trial in 2006 that he was acting on the orders of Zakir Nasirov, head of the Interior Ministry's Chief Criminal Investigation Department.[10]

Move to Britain[edit]

In 2006, Hajiyeva moved to UK and was later granted permission to live there by the Home Office under an investor visa.[1] She applied for indefinite leave to remain in 2015; as of October 2018, it was unclear whether she had subsequently acquired British citizenship.[4]

In 2016, she was placed under arrest in absentia by an Azerbaijan court in connection with her husband's activities.[14][15]

Unexplained wealth order[edit]

Harrods at night, 2012

Since arriving in the UK, Hajiyeva has spent significant sums of money that the British authorities say are out of keeping with her husband's official salary. In 2018, she became the first person to receive an unexplained wealth order under a new UK anti-corruption law,[1] and has to provide a "clear account" of the source of her spending, which included:

Hajiyeva was arrested on 30 October 2018 by British police acting on an extradition request from the Azerbaijani authorities in connection with two charges of embezzlement.[17][18] She was later released on bail, with a £500,000 bond, an electronic tagging device and other conditions.[19] Her extradition was blocked on 26 September 2019 at Westminster Magistrates Court by Emma Arbuthnot, chief magistrate senior, on the grounds she will be unable to get a fair trial in her home country.[2][3]

In November 2018, the National Crime Agency seized 49 items of jewelry worth around £400,000 from Mrs Hajiyeva and in January 2019 they seized a diamond Cartier ring worth almost £1.2 million.[20]

In February 2020, Hajiyeva lost her appeal against the National Crime Agency's bid to reveal the source of her money.[21]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Casciani, Dominic (10 October 2018). "Woman who spent £16m in Harrods revealed". BBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b Gammie, Joe (26 September 2019). "Harrods shopper at centre of 'McMafia' court case escapes extradition to Azerbaijan". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-07. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b Extradition of Azeri banker’s wife blocked by UK court, Financial Times, 26 September 2019
  4. ^ a b Unmasked! The fraudster's wife who splashed £11.5m on a Knightsbridge mansion. 11news.ru 11 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Neate, Rupert (10 October 2018). "'McMafia' law: woman who spent £16m at Harrods is jailed banker's wife". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  6. ^ O'Neill, Sean (11 October 2018). "'Mrs McMafia' Zamira Hajiyeva was waved into Britain". The Times. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Bentham, Martin (10 October 2018). "Revealed: name of £16m Harrods big spender facing McMafia-style 'dirty money' probe". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Azerbaijan: Media report former MNS head created 'shadow government' and prepared overthrow". Panorama.am. 23 October 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Family wealth of former National Security Minister". Meydan TV. 19 February 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  10. ^ a b Hacı Məmmədov: "Cahangir Hacıyevin arvadını oğurlamağı Zakir Nəsirov sifariş edib". Trend News Agency, 9 August 2006. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  11. ^ Hacı Məmmədov kim idi? BBC, 4 December 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  12. ^ Zamirə Hacıyeva kimidir? BBC, 10 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  13. ^ Vətəndaş Zamirə Şirəli qızı Hacıyevanın oğurlanması cinayətinin açılması üçün görülmüş əməliyyat-axtarış tədbirləri barədə. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 11 March 2005. Archived at archive.is Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  14. ^ Ex-head of Azerbaijan’s largest bank embezzled €125mn, finds investigation. bne Intellinews, 24 June 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  15. ^ Harrods big spender fights to keep mansion. Dominic Casciani, BBC News, 25 July 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  16. ^ Casciani, Dominic (28 May 2019). "How to spend £16m in Harrods: The spending of Zamira Hajiyeva". Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  17. ^ Crawford, Angus (6 November 2018). "Woman who spent £16m in Harrods arrested". BBC. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  18. ^ Pegg, David (6 November 2018). "Police arrest woman who spent £16m in Harrods". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  19. ^ Staff (8 November 2018). "Bail for woman who spent £16m in Harrods". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  20. ^ "National Crime Agency - £1m diamond ring linked to first UWO case seized". www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  21. ^ Woman in £16m Harrods spend loses wealth seizure challenge, BBC, 5 February 2020

External links[edit]

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