Today, the SFO has secured its first-ever Unexplained Wealth Order to investigate a £1.5m Lake District property linked to a £100m fraud.
The property is owned by Claire Schools, the ex-wife of jailed solicitor Timothy Schools, and is suspected to have been bought with criminal proceeds.
A High Court freezing order secured today ensures that any money from the sale of the house is secured while SFO investigates its funding. Ms Schools has also been ordered to produce information within 28 days about how the property was obtained. The SFO may use this information to bring a case to seize the house at a later date.
The SFO is only the second law enforcement authority to employ this tool. We remain committed to using new methods to combat fraud and recover illicit assets.
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