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A woman who spent £ 1 million a year at Harrods will be forced to give up her £ 15 million house unless she reveals the source of her fortune after the first McMafia-style ‘dirty money’ investigation in the UK.
Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of a former head of the Azerbaijan state bank jailed for fraud, lost her final appeal against a court order that forced her to reveal how she got so much money.
If he fails to comply, the UK’s National Crime Agency may seize £ 22 million worth of property, including his home in Knightsbridge in central London and a £ 11 million golf course in Berkshire.
The supreme court announced Monday that it had dismissed Hajiyeva’s appeal against the inexplicable wealth order issued against her by the National Crime Agency. Hajiyeva had no longer managed to convince the appeals court and the higher court to vacate the order, obtained in 2018.
Graeme Biggar, CEO of the NCA’s National Center for Economic Crimes, said: “This is a significant finding that is important in establishing unexplained estate warrants as a powerful tool for financial investigations. This was the first UWO insured and the NCA has been determined through the many legal challenges faced in the last two years. This case will set a useful precedent for future UWO cases.
“There are no further routes for Ms. Hajiyeva to appeal the order. You will now be asked to provide the NCA with the information we are looking for in relation to these assets. “
Hajiyeva made headlines last year when The Guardian and other outlets won a legal case that forced her to publicize her spending habit. It was revealed that he spent over £ 16 million on Harrods alone between 2006 and 2016. He seemed to treat department stores like his corner store, spending £ 24,000 on tea and coffee, £ 10,000 on fruits and vegetables and £ 32,000 on Godiva chocolates. . .
She also spent £ 4.9 million on Boucheron and Cartier jewelery and £ 300,000 on French haute couture brand Celine. Another £ 251,000 was spent in the toy department and tens of thousands on Disney princess experiences at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Hajiyeva denies wrongdoing and her lawyers have said the case against her husband was politically motivated.
