25^th October 2016, London – Commenting on the second reading of the Criminal Finances Bill in Parliament today, Robert Barrington, Transparency International UK Executive Director said:

“We welcome the cross-party support displayed in Parliament today for Unexplained Wealth Orders, a key component of the Criminal Finances Bill. Their introduction is a significant step in ending the UK’s role as a safe haven for corrupt individuals, and returning stolen assets to the populations from whom they have been taken. The UK must now ensure its other vulnerabilities to corrupt money are closed down, including transparency over company ownership in the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, as part of a wide-ranging anti-corruption strategy at the very heart of Government policy.”

 ***ENDS***

Further information:

For a full briefing on Unexplained Wealth Orders, what they are and why they are important, click here

Contact:
Dominic Kavakeb
Dominic.kavakeb@transparency.org.uk
020 3096 7695
0796 456 0340