On 7 October 2020 Mansoor ‘Manni’ Mahmood Hussain was stripped of his ten million pound property empire by the UK NCA (National Crime Agency) through an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO), yet he has never been convicted any crime, particularly money laundering, which he is suspected of by authorities.
This is a landmark case as it is the first UWO which has been obtained solely on an individual's alleged involvement in serious organized crime.
Hussain has stopped fighting the case and agreed to hand over 45 properties totaling £9,802,828, four parcels of land and £583,950 to authorities, which will be split between the NCA and local Government.
Hussain did not shy away from limelight with a particular fondness of picturing himself with celebrities and taking on high profile business projects. It was perhaps his closeness to the criminal underworld that raised eyes with law enforcement agencies. According to official court papers Hussain was friends with and linked to a web of mortgage fraudsters, murderers (he drove one to his court case) and even allowed convicted armed robbers to stay rent free in his properties. His further nativity is highlighted in the NCA press release:
““He submitted 127 lever arch folders and a 76-page statement to explain where his money came from for the properties – but he inadvertently gave NCA investigators clues to make a bigger case against him””
Let’s not forget that the NCA has not ruled out taking further future action either, this UWO could be just the start and perhaps the logical tool to hit organised criminals where it hurts, their wallets.
Hindsight is a wonderful element though; let us not forget his large property portfolio gave him an air of legitimacy, with his 88m company having a (relatively) slick website that is unfortunately no longer online. Hussain reinforced his philanthropic magnate sensibilities by winning and being nominated in several local business awards, this YABA Outstanding Contribution to Yorkshire video is now quite awkward viewing:
How Can Proximal Consulting Help
Proximal Consulting has been presented with hundreds of “Mannis” over the years; legitimate looking business people on the face of it, yet this is all a façade as once you look deeper red flags are raised . A common trait we see like the Manni case is that there are reportedly HNW individuals, with apparent millions in assets, yet a rather short trail to how they generated this proposed wealth. Proximal Consulting has over 20 years experience delivering high quality KYC Enhanced Due Diligence Reporting. Our reporting aims to:
Confirm the personal details provided by the subject of our report thus ensuring that fundamental KYC checks are carried out
Provide detailed information on the current and previous business activities of the subject of our report
Provide thorough intelligence on the status of the subject and their source of funds, enabling our client to evaluate the suitability of the person/company
Establish whether any links exist between the subject of our report and money laundering, organised crime, terrorism and/or corruption
Please contact us if you have any questions, or concerns about your clients or business contacts