Hundreds of properties could be seized in UK corruption crackdown
Hundreds of British properties suspected of belonging to corrupt politicians, tax evaders and criminals could be seized by enforcement agencies under tough new laws designed to tackle London’s reputation as a haven for dirty money. Huge amounts of corrupt wealth are laundered through the capital’s banks. Much of it ends up in real estate, and in other assets such as luxury cars, art and jewelry.
The criminal finances bill is designed to close a loophole which has left the authorities powerless to seize property from overseas criminals. It will introduce the concept of “unexplained wealth orders”. The Serious Fraud Office, HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies will be able to apply to the high court for an order forcing the owner of an asset to explain how they obtained the funds to purchase it. The orders will apply to property and other assets worth more than £100,000. If the owner fails to demonstrate that a home or piece of jewelry was acquired using legal sources of income, agencies will be able to seize it.
The law targets not just criminals, but politicians and public officials, known as “politically exposed persons”. “There are some hundreds of properties in the UK strongly suspected to have been acquired with the proceeds of corruption,” said the campaign group Transparency International, the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption. “This will provide low-hanging fruit for immediate action by law enforcement agencies, if those agencies are properly resourced.”
Unexplained wealth orders will also help expose the owners of properties. Most owners of these companies hide behind anonymous trusts, or nominee directors and shareholders. In a single 50-storey apartment complex in London a quarter of the flats are held through offshore companies. Those targeted will not need to be resident in the UK. As long as their assets are in the UK, an order can be enforced. The law will apply to property acquired before it is introduced.
The bill also contains stronger seizure and forfeiture powers designed to make it easier for police and investigators to freeze bank accounts and confiscate assets such as jewelry and art, which are harder to seize under current laws.
“We will not stand by and watch criminals use the UK to launder their dirty money or fund terrorism,” said the security minister. “This legislation will ensure the UK is taking a world-leading role in cracking down on corruption and send a clear message to criminals - we will take your liberty and your money.”
Campaigners say that for the new law to be effective, agencies must be given the financial and political support to take powerful and wealthy individuals to court. The UK has a responsibility to ensure that any stolen wealth flowing into the country is stopped, frozen, and ultimately returned to the people from whom it was stolen,” said the director of Transparency International.
(Adapted from: https://www. thenews. com. pk/print/ 1 5 7 099-H undreds-of-propertieS-co uld-be-seized-in- UK-corruption-crackdownsrc =ilaw)
The following agencies in the UK are responsible for implementing the criminal finances legislation EXCEPT: