OCCRP Names Aliyev “Person Of The Year ”
20:33, January 1, 2013
Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, has won the first ever
Organized Crime and Corruption Person of the Year bestowed by the
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The award is
given for the person who figured prominently in 2012 on stories on
crime and corruption in its coverage area. Aliyev was chosen because
of new revelations this year about how his family had taken large
shares in lucrative industries including the telecom, minerals and
construction industries often through government related deals.
The award is chosen by the 60 reporters and 15 news organizations that
make up the OCCRP consortium. Runners-up included Albanian drug lord
Naser Kelmendi, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov and Russian
President Vladimir Putin.