Woman who spent £16 million in Harrods named as first person investigated under new 'suspicious wealth' orders

Ms Hajiyeva spent £16 million pounds in Harrods. Credit: PA

A woman who spent £16 million in Harrods is the first person to be investigated under the UK's new Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs).

Zamira Hajiyeva, wife of a jailed Azerbaijani banker, has been named after losing a High Court battle to remain anonymous.

Under the newly-introduced UWOs, people with "suspicious" wealth - such as those with suspected links to organised crime or corruption - are required to prove the origin of their money.

In Ms Hajiyeva's case, this includes a £16 million spending spree in Harrods between 2006 and 2016 and the purchase of an £11.5 million home in Knightsbridge in 2009.

What did Ms Hajiyeva spend her money on?

  • £10 million on Mill Ride Golf Club in Berkshire

  • £31 million on a Gulfstream G550 jet

  • £150,000 on Boucheron products in a single day

  • £100,000 on Cartier jewellery

A second multi-million pound property is also being investigated.

Her husband, Jahangir Hajiyev, was the former head of state-controlled International Bank of Azerbaijan from 2001 to 2015.

He was subsequently jailed for 15 years over fraud and embezzlement charges.

Ms Hajiyeva and her husband are originally from Azerbaijan. Credit: AP

UWOs, used by the National Crime Agency, were introduced in January in an attempt to crack down on so-called McMafia crime.

Last week, a High Court judge dismissed Ms Hajiyev's application to drop the UWO, but discharged an order to keep her identity anonymous.

But on Tuesday, another judge dismissed an application to extend the order, ruling that "no good case" had been made for its extension.

Lawyers for Mrs Hajiyeva said in a statement: "The decision of the High Court upholding the grant of an Unexplained Wealth Order against Zamira Hajiyeva does not and should not be taken to imply any wrong-doing, whether on her part or that of her husband.

"The NCA's case is that the UWO is part of an investigative process, not a criminal procedure, and it does not involve the finding of any criminal offence."

The statement added that Ms Hajiyev has "made clear her intention to engage fully" in the judicial process.

Duncan Hames, director of policy at Transparency International UK, said: "We are delighted that this first case is progressing in court, underlining the effectiveness of Unexplained Wealth Orders in targeting suspicious wealth.

"UWOs should now be used more widely to pursue more of the £4.4 billion worth of suspicious wealth we have identified across the UK."

Under the new powers, the NCA may seize assets if officials believe the owner is a politically exposed person (PEP) - someone from outside the European Economic Area in a position of power that makes them liable to bribery or corruption - or someone with suspected links to serious or organised crime, and they are unable explain the source of their wealth.