Zamira Hajiyeva, who spent more than £16 million at Harrods in a decade and £600,000 on one day, was examined by the National Crime Agency (NCA) over six years.
The agency stated that there was “no reasonable explanation” for how she paid for the houses, adding that the money was most likely obtained through fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering.
She is giving them up after being served with the UK’s first unexplained wealth order (UWO) in 2018, which was enacted under the so-called “McMafia” rules, named after the crime series and book.
Mrs Hajiyeva’s husband, Jahangir Hajiyev, was head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) since 2001.
In March 2021, the NCA applied for a freezing order on the two properties, followed by a civil recovery order in June 2023.
Last Thursday, the court granted the latter order, which requires 70% of the property’s worth to be forfeited. Mrs Hajiyeva had previously opposed the move.
The NCA stated there were numerous indications of funds from the Azerbaijan bank being transferred through different accounts, which is a common money laundering method.
