On 7 February 2019, the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed that it had obtained account forfeiture orders over money held in bank accounts in the name of the former Moldovan prime minister’s son, Vlad Luca Filat.

Part III of our ‘Prove It or Lose It’ series anticipated the use of these draconian new powers of UK law enforcement authorities to obtain orders to freeze bank accounts and to apply for the forfeiture of money held in those accounts, where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the money constitutes recoverable property. These powers, which lack historically enshrined safeguards, were introduced as part of the Criminal Finances Act 2017, which substantially amends the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Until now, these new powers had been given little publicity, although we predict the controversial new account freezing and forfeiture powers will be widely used. The order against Mr Filat is a high-profile example of the NCA’s intentions and has attracted a considerable amount of media attention.

To read the full GT Alert, click here.