Jonathan Lennon settles NCA High Court Civil Recovery Claim with No Civil Recovery Order against his clients

Jonathan Lennon, instructed by Syedur Rahman of Rahman Ravelli Solicitors achieved a remarkable settlement for their clients at the end of proceedings that started in 2015.  Jonathan represented a company and its Director, Mr. G. in POCA High Court Civil Recovery proceedings.  The NCA claimed that a significant property development in the North of England, built and owned by the clients, was in fact secured from the proceeds of crime committed by the other Defendants and that Mr. G had laundered the proceeds of that crime through property development; drugs trafficking was named by the NCA as the likely source of wealth given the antecedents of some of the co-defendants.  Jonathan’s clients consistently denied any wrong-doing and put forward a positive innocent case with evidence that in fact the purchase monies had come from legitimate sources, including income from a housing support service which received funds from central Government.   The value of the property development was approximately £1.8M and this did not include a number of other properties owned by the other Defendants in the case which were also the subject of the NCA’s claim for Civil Recovery. 

After nearly 7 years, in January 2022, the NCA did not seek a Civil Recovery Order and instead agreed to accept a £530,000 payment in full and final settlement of the entire case against all of the Defendants, without any finding of wrong-doing against Jonathan’s clients, or indeed any of the Defendants in the case. 

This was a very positive outcome for Jonathan’s client, achieved only after considerable effort by himself, his experienced Instructing Solicitor and Mr. G himself, who can now finally put this case behind him.   

Part 5 POCA High Court Civil Recovery claims are highly specialised proceedings that require detailed knowledge and experience in both civil and criminal litigation in order to mount a successful defence.