Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, following the seizure of the property belonging to Rifaat al-Assad in Mayfair, London, in 2020 by UK authorities, who is currently the legal owner of that property and who is responsible for managing it.

The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) provides law enforcement agencies with a wide range of powers to restrain and recover criminal assets, such as property.

Restraint orders ensure that suspected criminal property cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of whilst investigations and other proceedings are ongoing. In some circumstances the Court can appoint a receiver to manage the property during proceedings, including potential sale if a confiscation order is subsequently made, the defendant may also need to sell property without the involvement of a receiver as a result of a confiscation order.

The Home Office cannot comment on individual cases and questions relating to them should be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency or prosecutorial body.