Partner Bambos Tsiattalou comments on the NCAs use of unexplained wealth orders

Partner Bambos Tsiattalou comments in Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary in relation to the National Crime Agency facing a £1.5 million legal bill for using an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) in one of its investigations.

Bambos’ comments were published in Edward Fennell’s Legal Diary, 16 July 2020, here.

“Unveiled as being the cunning new weapon in the armoury of the authorities to hit hard dodgy characters in their bank accounts, Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) are starting to lose their appeal.

This follows the legal bill of £1.5 million stuck on the the National Crime Agency after an abortive attempt to impose UWOs on three London properties worth £80 million linked to a wealthy Kazakh family. “Although Unexplained Wealth Orders were hailed as a revolutionary tool in the fight to uncover alleged money laundering, they have proved costly and difficult to deploy.” commented Bambos Tsiattalou, of criminal defence firm, Stokoe Partnership Solicitors. “Ultimately, the taxpayer foots the bill and they would expect to see more bite rather than bark.””