Three London homes worth more than £80m have been frozen by the High Court in the second-ever use of anti-corruption orders to stop foreigners laundering cash in the UK.

The Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) were sought last week against a foreign official who was not named in court.

The National Crime Agency has demanded that the subject of the probe explains the source of their wealth.

The homes cannot be sold or given a new owner until the investigation is over.

The properties are held by offshore companies.

UWOs are a new anti-financial crime power targeted at foreign government officials and their families from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who are believed to have laundered stolen money through British property.

If the suspect - known as a "politically exposed person" - cannot explain the source of the wealth, the NCA can ask the High Court to order the homes' seizure.

The measure aims to target people who have committed huge frauds and embezzlements abroad where there is little or no chance of obtaining the evidence to convict them in a British court.


Robert Barrington, executive director of campaign group Transparency International, welcomed the latest UWOs - but said much more needed to be done.

He said: "London has long been the playground of the world's corrupt kleptocrats and oligarchs - it's very encouraging to see that this is at last being challenged."

"Two years ago we identified £4.4bn worth of UK property bought with suspicious wealth. From that list of around 150 cases, two have now been progressed."

He said the two cases represent "progress" but are "still an insufficient response to the magnitude of the problem






https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48438014

I smell a particular Nigerian...... could it be our outgoing Number 3?

KingOfAllIgbos:
I smell a particular Nigerian...... could it be our outgoing Number 3?

See dem... Una don begin masturbate already... How are we sure it's not d one who's always running to London for check up? Or any of his saints? Buratai doesn't need an explanation for owning a house in Dubai but a certain outgoing number 3 needs to explain how he can afford owning a house ryt?

Nbote:


[s]See dem... Una don begin masturbate already... How are we sure it's not d one who's always running to London for check up? Or any of his saints? Buratai doesn't need an explanation for owning a house in Dubai but a certain outgoing number 3 needs to explain how he can afford owning a house ryt?[/s]

Say "woof" 3 more times. Keep us entertained....