Ilham Aliyev

A sordid tale of international corruption implicates Malta-based companies in the Azerbaijani Laundromat—a massive, multi-billion euro money-laundering scheme. Exposed by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the scandal unveils how Malta’s financial infrastructure became a tool for Azerbaijan’s authoritarian leader, Ilham Aliyev, to launder money, bribe European politicians, and conceal the regime’s illicit wealth.

A Web of Deception and Maltese Complicity
Between 2012 and 2014, over €2.5 billion flowed through the Azerbaijani Laundromat via four UK shell companies. Malta-registered firms, including Vostok Media Exchange Ltd and Wise Holding Ltd, processed hundreds of thousands of euros in questionable transactions. The deliberate exploitation of Malta’s lax regulatory environment raises serious concerns about the nation’s role in enabling Aliyev’s corrupt empire.

Regulatory Failures and Shady Dealings
Despite glaring red flags, Maltese authorities turned a blind eye. Vostok Media Exchange Ltd, under the complex ownership of the British Virgin Islands-based PGM Group SA and managed by Swiss firm Comatrans, embodies the intentional opacity that allowed Aliyev’s regime to hide its assets. Wise Holding Ltd, receiving €9,510 from Metastar in 2013—despite being incorporated in 2014—further exemplifies Malta’s regulatory negligence and complicity.

European Politicians Caught in Aliyev’s Web
The scheme reached into European institutions, with Italian MP Luca Volontè allegedly accepting bribes to shield Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses. The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly became a battleground for Aliyev’s “caviar diplomacy,” showcasing how easily foreign regimes can manipulate European politics through bribery and influence-peddling.

A Call for Urgent Accountability
The Azerbaijani Laundromat has shattered Malta’s credibility as a financial hub, highlighting systemic regulatory failures and deep-rooted corruption. Immediate action is needed to close loopholes, enforce transparency, and hold complicit politicians and financial institutions accountable. Without decisive reform, Malta risks cementing its status as a safe haven for corrupt regimes like Ilham Aliyev’s and their international money-laundering schemes.