‘On 8 April, two prominent Kazakhstan citizens successfully persuaded the High Court to discharge three unexplained wealth orders (National Crime Agency v Baker and ors [2020] EWHC 822 (Admin)).’
Law Society's Gazette, 27th April 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘In a reserved Judgment following a two day hearing in March this year Mrs Justice Lang has discharged 3 Unexplained Wealth Orders (“UWO” or “UWOs”) and related Interim Freezing Orders (“IFO” or “IFOs”).’
23 Essex Street, 8th April 2020
Source: www.23es.com
‘On 08 April 2020, Nurali Aliyev and his mother, Dariga Nazarbayeva, won a High Court challenge against Unexplained Wealth Orders (“UWOs”) that were obtained by the National Crime Agency (“NCA”). The UWOs centred on three properties based in London and valued in excess of £80m. Dr Nazarbayeva is a politician in Kazakhstan and the daughter of the former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. The NCA, who suspected that the properties had been purchased using money embezzled by Mr Aliyev’s deceased father, have indicated that they will be appealing the High Court decision.’
Broadway House Chambers, 14th April 2020
Source: broadwayhouse.co.uk
‘Unexplained Wealth Orders (“UWOs”) have frequently been in the headlines since they came into force on 31 January 2018. They have been described in the media as, “McMafia Orders” and advertised as a new weapon in the war on illicit assets, creating an impression that they would single-handedly tackle the reputation of the United Kingdom as a haven for dirty money. The reality, as most lawyers recognise, is that UWOs are simply a type of disclosure order which have, as Lang J was keen to stress in her judgment in the case of NCA v Baker [2020] EWCA 822 (Admin) at para. 61 a, “relatively limited purpose”. They can “fill in the gap” when investigators cannot rely on full co-operation from other jurisdictions (e.g. the former Soviet states and the Caribbean tax havens).’
5SAH, 10th April 2020
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
‘Britain’s National Crime Agency has lost a high court attempt to force the daughter and grandson of a former president of Kazakhstan to explain where they got the money to buy £80m of property in London.’
The Guardian, 8th April 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Thomas “Tommy” Adams has been ordered to repay £1,243,270.75 for his part in a dirty cash laundering network. Adams ran a money laundering operation with his associates, which was foiled in 2014 when undercover police heard him discussing the illicit activity at a central London café.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 27th February 2020
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
‘Sarah Wood provides her Corporate Crime analysis for Lexis Nexis PSL in relation to recent case of NCA v Hajiyeva: Mrs Hajiyeva’s case attracted a great deal of publicity when the unexplained wealth order (UWO) was imposed upon her in February 2018. Known for her lavish spending in Harrods, her case caught the interest of the press—not least as it was the first UWO to have been obtained.’
5 SAH, 25th February 2020
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
‘The wife of a jailed “fat cat banker” who splurged millions at Harrods has lost her appeal over the UK’s first so-called McMafia wealth order.’
The Independent, 6th February 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A jailed solicitor involved in the UK’s biggest ever tax fraud must repay £3m of his ill-gotten gains or face a further nine years in prison, a judge at the Old Bailey has ruled.’
Legal Futures, 18th December 2019
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A woman who spent £16m at Harrods has launched a legal challenge to try to overturn the UK’s first unexplained wealth order (UWO) that would force her to reveal the source of her fortune.’
The Guardian, 12th December 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Last week, the National Crime Agency deployed account freezing orders to secure £190 million held in the UK. Malik Riaz, a property developer and one of the biggest employers in Pakistan, reportedly agreed to pay £190 million in order to conclude an investigation into the funds[1]. The agreement followed the obtaining, in August 2019, of eight account freezing orders at Westminster City Magistrates’ Court in connection with funds held in the UK totalling around £120 million (the final settlement includes a UK property valued at £50 million). The assets are to be returned to the State of Pakistan.’
Doughty Street Chambers, 10th December 2019
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
‘Financial gain provides the motivation behind all serious and organised crime. Billions of pounds are laundered through the UK every year. Understandably, it has long been the government’s policy to implement effective legislation to tackle this issue.’
5SAH, 2nd December 2019
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
‘More than £190m of assets, including a £50m mansion overlooking Hyde Park in London, have been seized from a Pakistani property tycoon after a settlement in a UK police “dirty money” investigation.’
The Guardian, 3rd December 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The idea behind Account Forfeiture Order Notices is that it makes it easier for law enforcement to forfeit recoverable property, or property that is to be used in unlawful conduct, without going to court. The powers should only be used where there is no likelihood that the forfeiture will be objected to. Although these seem simple provisions there are a lot of possible issues, such as the length of notice, who and how it is served, if it is reasonable to serve one in the first place, and if forfeiture occurs, if it can be set aside by an aggrieved party at a later date.’
Drystone Chambers, October 2019
Source: drystone.com
‘This article will deal with how to withdraw legal and living expenses from an Account Freezing Order (‘AFO’). Like all freezing or restraint proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (‘POCA’), living expenses can be paid from the account where they are reasonable and continue the current lifestyle of the owner of the account.’
Drystone Chambers, October 2019
Source: drystone.com
‘As part of my series on AFO’s I am going to discuss what accounts can be frozen by Account Freezing Orders (‘AFO’s). Although the requirements under section 303Z5 setting out what a bank is seem straightforward, it can be hard in practice to determine when a bank account is not a bank account. It has, in my experience, caused a number of AFO’s to be discharged; this is where orders have frozen Forex trading accounts, ISA fund accounts, or other accounts which contain money but do not.’
Drystone Chambers, October 2019
Source: drystone.com
‘A banker’s wife who spent £16million during a series of shopping sprees in Harrods has escaped extradition back to Azerbaijan on fraud charges.’
Daily Telegraph, 26th September 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A couple who made a fortune bankrupting companies to fund their lavish lifestyle have today been ordered to repay more than £10million.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 12th September 2019
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
‘An Albanian drugs kingpin who ran a multi-million pound cocaine racket only has to pay back £14,380 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) requested a “risible” sum, a judge has complained.’
Daily Telegraph, 4th September 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A defendant convicted of defrauding the electrical waste recycling industry has been sentenced to prison for a further eight years after he failed to meet a £1.3m confiscation order.’
Local Government Lawyer, 29th August 2019
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
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