The diverse talents of Gurbanguly Malikgulyevich Berdymukhamedov, President of Turkmenistan
The people of Turkmenistan have not had much luck with their leaders in recent years, or much help from outside.
![turkmen statue](https://cdn2.globalwitness.org/media/images/turkmen_statue_3.2e16d0ba.fill-544x300.jpg)
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In 2006 we exposed how former president Saparmurat Niyazov controlled most of Turkmenistan’s earnings from gas in off-budget funds. At least US$3 billion of Turkmenistan’s money was held in Frankfurt by Deutsche Bank, in a famous example of authoritarian regimes consolidating their power with the help of western financial institutions.