Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

London couple in £14 million ‘dirty money’ case win temporary right to secrecy

London couple in £14 million ‘dirty money’ case win temporary right to secrecy

The names of a London couple accused of bringing £14 million of illicit money into Britain via the “Azerbaijan laundromat” will be kept secret for at least another week after a High Court judge give them a final chance to justify continuing anonymity.
In a High Court order, Mr Justice Freedman rejected a last-ditch bid by the couple to obtain a judicial review to overturn a decision by another judge last week that the veil of secrecy protecting the couple should finally be lifted.

He said that, despite this, legal precedent meant that the couple’s lawyers should be given the chance to present their case again at an oral hearing.

He added that anonymity should be maintained until then and that the earliest date for the hearing to take place would be at least seven days away.

The judge’s ruling will raise new concerns about the way in which judicial review proceedings – which are already subject to a planned government overhaul – and other court processes can be misused to inject unwarranted delay.

It follows a decision last week at Westminster Magistrates court by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser to approve an application by the Evening Standard, supported by the National Crime Agency, for the couple to be named.

She said the couple had failed to provide any evidence to justify anonymity and that keeping their identities secret for longer would be a “disproportionate interference with the principle of open justice”.

She granted a seven day “stay” – the legal term for a delay – to allow the couple to carry out their threat to seek a judicial review. That should have expired today.

But in a High Court order issued on Wednesday, Mr Justice Freedman said that although he was rejecting all of the couple’s arguments for a judicial review, they were entitled to make their case again at an oral hearing and that anonymity should remain until then.

“It is recognised that where a party applies in the Administrative Court for urgent interim relief, which is refused on the papers, it has the right to renew his application orally to a High Court judge,” he states in his order.

“Until after the oral hearing .. the decision of District Judge Baraitser removing anonymity .. is stayed.”

The couple are accused by the National Crime Agency of using a complex web of “brass plate” companies fronted by “men of straw” to channel nearly £14 million of allegedly illicit wealth into Britain and face the seizure of around £6.5 million in their London bank accounts at forfeiture proceedings next month.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
×