The Eye: Assad’s deposits and the demands to return 163 million pounds to the Syrian people
The Eye newspaper revealed in a new report information related to the wealth of Syrian President Bashar al Assad and his family, indicating that there are hidden funds in Britain estimated at about 163 million pounds.
According to the British newspaper, Assad has a bank account at HSBC Bank in London worth more than 55 million pounds, while political figures and human rights organizations are demanding that this money be handed over to the next Syrian government.
The newspaper quoted banking sources as saying that this account is part of a total of 163 million pounds distributed in British banks belonging to Assad, his family and his close allies.
The newspaper also pointed out that these funds have sparked great controversy, as prominent political figures in Britain are calling for these deposits to be confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act of 2002 and returned to the Syrian people.
Court documents dating back to 2011 revealed that Assad had about 40 million pounds in his account with HSBC Bank, and despite these funds being frozen under international sanctions, they continued to generate interest until they reached more than 55 million pounds.
The eye newspaper also reported that British authorities-imposed fines of up to 150 thousand pounds on companies that violated the sanctions imposed on Assad.
For her part, Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, called for the need to prevent Assad and his associates from benefiting from these funds while they reside in Russia, stressing that these funds should be returned to the Syrian people.
In this regard, American reports indicate that most of Assad’s money is stored in bank accounts in tax havens.
The Assad family has also invested in real estate outside Syria, buying several luxury apartments worth between $30 and $40 million, most of them located in skyscrapers in Moscow, where the family currently resides in the “The City of Capitals” complex.
