Thread by @OCCRP

NEW: Amid widespread food shortages, Turkmenistan’s president handed a lucrative food import contract to a firm that, we reveal, is controlled by his nephew.

This is the first documented evidence tying the young man’s wealth to his uncle. 💸 🇹🇲 1/
occrp.org/en/investigati…

Turkmenistan's food crisis began in 2016, when Russia abruptly stopped buying its natural gas.

To alleviate the shortages, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov ordered the gov’t to contract 7 foreign firms to import food. Several of them raise questions. 2/

The largest contract, worth $25.7m, went to Greatcom Trade LLP.

Though the firm is based in the U.K., its ultimate beneficial owner is Hajymyrat Rejepov, the president’s nephew. 3/

Staunchest Holdings LP, another UK firm, got a smaller $7.8m contract.

Its beneficial owner? A long-standing business associate of Rejepov. 4/

Rejepov has long been known to be wealthy. His social media accounts reveal his penchant for fast cars, luxury watches, and world travel. 5/

But there’s more. After receiving the contract from his uncle, Rejepov acquired a luxurious mansion in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat.

The stately home features marble, Italian crystal chandeliers, and bronze decorations — luxuries far out of reach for ordinary Turkmen. 6/

This story was made possible only because the UK forced locally registered companies, like the firm controlled by the Turkmen president’s nephew, to list their “ultimate beneficial owners” — a reminder of why this information is critical in exposing corruption. 7/

This is our first story from Turkmenistan with @adalatseeker and gundogar.org. More to come!