Hi and welcome to another MLEX podcast. I'm Ana Rago, managing editor for Emlex's London Bureau. The UK has gained a reputation for being a safe haven for foreign suspect cash. It is estimated that around £100 billion in taint in cash could be passing through the UK each year,

through real estate deals or the purchase of other high-value luxury assets.

In a bit to shed this label, the UK adopted the 2017 Criminal Finances Act,

under which the owner of an asset can now be ordered to explain

how they were able to afford that asset. Ben Lucas, our corruption correspondent in London,

is joining me today to talk about the so-called unexplained wealth orders and a landmark

court ruling challenging against their use by the police. Hi, Ben. Hi, Ben, you've been reporting on the UK's first ever unexplained wealth order and the subsequent

court action against its use. What is this court case about?

So this case involves two properties worth a total of 22 million pounds.

Now all we can say at this point is that they belong to it and Mrs.

A because the hearing went ahead under the protection of a strict anonymity order.

But the National Crime Agency believed that these two properties are ultimately linked to

her husband known as Mr. A and whom it argues is a politically exposed person.

Now this is an individual, normally in a prominent position in public life, who is considered

to be at a higher risk of being involved in corruption.

And all we know at this point about Mr. A is that he has been convicted for fraud and is

currently in jail in a country which hasn't been identified but it's always

known as it's a non-EA state.

So this wouldn't be in the UK, this is outside.

Yes, the unexplained wealth orders only apply to individuals outside of the European

economic area, so not to UK or EU public officials.

And he worked at a bank in that non-EA country from 1993 to 2015.

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