£16m Harrods big spender ‘should be given her jewels back’
A £16 million Harrods big spender accused of living off illicit wealth should be given her jewelry back because officials are taking too long in their legal action against her, a court has been told.
Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of a jailed banker, who became the first person in Britain to be targeted by an unexplained wealth order over her lifestyle, is facing the loss of £3.2 million of jewels.
The National Crime Agency claims the gems — which include a £1.2 million Cartier diamond ring and a Boucheron necklace worth up to £120,000 — were bought with “dirty money” given to her by her husband Jahangir Hajiyev before he was convicted in Azerbaijan of plundering the state bank.
But James Lewis QC told a new hearing at Westminster magistrates’ court that Mrs. Hajiyeva has been “out of her jewels” for more than three and half years and should be given them back so she can wear them again.
He said the reason was that the agency had taken too long in trying to secure forfeiture of the jewels and that prolonging court action against her any longer would breach her human rights.
The jewels were seized in late 2018 and early 2019 from Christie’s and Cartier’s stores on Bond Street, but remain legally owned by Mrs. Hajiyeva who denies any wrongdoing.
The NCA is trying to change that through forfeiture proceedings but has been told that it must first serve notice of the action on Mr. Hajiyev in his Baku prison.
Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said this attempt should be allowed and rejected Mr. Lewis’s bid to stop the proceedings.
