What to Expect from an Account Freezing Order ?
By Sam Healey, Partner in Business Crime and Regulation, JMW Solicitors LLP An Account Freezing Order (AFO) is a Court Order that prohibits withdrawals or payments into a bank, building society account, electronic money institution or payment institution. Account Freezing Orders were introduced in 2017 to assist the police in recovering the proceeds of criminal activity, and can be applied to business or personal accounts where there is a suspicion that funds came from (or are to be used for) unlawful conduct. They have become increasingly popular in recent years because they are relatively easy to obtain, enable law enforcement bodies to restrict access to funds for up to two years (while they investigate the provenance of any suspicious funds) and may require individuals or businesses to provide considerable information and material to explain the origin of the funds or what they are to be used for. For the subject of an Account Freezing Order, this can be extremely ...