NCA reports first recoverable property presumption under an UWO

Article summary

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reported that, for the first time there, has been a statutory presumption that the assets subject to an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) may be recoverable property. The NCA has stated that on 7 June 2023 the NCA obtained an UWO against Yaqub Younis and his company, Regal Capital UK Limited. Younis is currently ‘on the run’ after being recalled to prison for breach of licence in February 2023. Younis’ son brought an application to have Younis replaced as the respondent on the UWO and to obtain a further six weeks to respond, which was refused by a High Court judge. The requirements of the UWO were not complied with and the result of this was that, for the first time in British legal history, there has been a statutory presumption that the assets, subject to the UWO, may be recoverable property. In addition to this, the NCA has reported that the judge...