“Spring Cleaning” a new report from Transparency International UK (TI-UK) analyses the role of the UK in providing a safe haven for corrupt wealth from Middle Eastern rulers. In Syria Egypt and Libya, amongst others, corruption played a major role in igniting the “Arab Spring”, with mass protests decrying the misuse of power by political establishments.

It took the UK over 5 weeks to move against assets linked to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his close associates; UK law enforcement authorities having historically been hampered by a system which is over-reliant on cooperation from the state of origin to recover stolen assets.

Unexplained Wealth Orders, a key provision of the Criminal Finances Bill, currently before the House of Commons, would mark a major step towards empowering UK law enforcement to freeze, seize and return wealth stolen from those countries.