According to the Swiss Tages-Anzeiger and Tribune de Genèva, during 2006-2009, Zeromax had paid for the purchases of Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of the first president of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.
In 2009, in an interview with "Nasha gazeta", Gulnara Karimova stated that she had nothing to do with Zeromax.
In 2008, Gulnara Karimova was appointed Permanent Representative of Uzbekistan to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva. In 2013, she was denied the right to diplomatic immunity: the Swiss prosecutor's office suspected her of "money laundering", filed a lawsuit against her and froze her assets worth 800 million francs in her account. She was accused of looting and was placed under house arrest in Uzbekistan as well. Now the Swiss authorities, as well as Zeromax and the Uzbek government, are claiming the ownership for the Karimova's frozen millions.
Zeromax was registered in Zug city, 2005 and engaged in oil and gas deals in Uzbekistan. The company declared bankruptcy in 2010 and had to pay a total of 5.6 billion francs of debt to 191 lenders. Many companies in Switzerland and Germany have suffered from bankruptcy. Now they claim that Zeromax belongs to Karimova, and ask for some of the frozen assets to be paid for them.
For example, magnificent staircase grates which cost millions of euro for the presidential palace in Tashkent were ordered by Zeromax and payment for the construction is still pending, Tages-Anzeiger newspaper quotes as per the words of Jürgen S., director of the construction firm in Sweden.
Zeromax is often associated with Gulnara Karimova, but it is not really clear who ruled it. In 2009, when "Nasha Gazeta" asked Gulnara Karimova about her involvement with Zeromax, she replied, “This information actually appeared on the Internet, and then it stuck on me. I do not have any connection to the company, but I know the company well. This is because some of my friends work there, and the company plays an important role in our country's life.”
Tages-Anzeiger and Tribune de Gèneva journalists have different opinions. They were handed over a police report 2016. The document tells that when there was a search of Gulnara Karimova's house and her safe in the Lombard Odier bank in Geneva, they seized a watch worth 38 million francs and jewelry including ruby necklace and huge red diamond ring. In addition, the police report states about money transfer of Swiss and German companies for the maintenance of Karimova's "Magnolia" villa in Kolonya city, information about real estate purchase in France and Hong Kong, transfer funds of European football players to Uzbekistan football teams. Some of those payments were not done by Gulnara Karimova, but Zeromax. According to journalists, payments carried out by Zeromax to the benefit of Karimova is 127 million francs.
According to the T&G publishing, the detectives have been proved that Zeromax trasferred some money to the account of offshore oil companies from its account in the Gazprombank of Zurich branch, which may be related to Karimova: 370 million francs were transferred during 2006-2009. Later in 2010, Zeromax was a bankrupt from complete withdrawn funds.
In the Swiss Trade Registry, the company has been registered under names of two Uzbek citizens. The lawsuit of Zeromax's bankruptcy until 2017 was part of Karimova's investigation. But later, the federal criminal court stated: "Zeromax's credit for Gulnara Karimova does not mean her governance over the company". The court has emphasized the fact: Zeromax's former managers stated that Karimova was not related to the company. However, Zeromax's creditors' lawyers believe that the managers have given statements under pressure.
On May 9, the Federal Council made a preliminary decision: the frozen 800 million francs has to be returned to Uzbekistan in full, as the money was "attained as a result of corrupt practices against the Uzbek government".
