The London High Court has imposed a global freeze on the assets of Ruja Ignatova , the so-called Bulgarian " Crypto Queen," following a request from over 400 victims of her OneCoin scheme. Ignatova , who vanished in 2017, remains a top international fugitive wanted by the FBI. The class action lawsuit aims to recover at least some of the 4.
5 billion dollars lost in the scam. The court 's ruling, made public on Wednesday, also affects seven individuals and four companies believed to be linked to OneCoin. Among them is Sebastian Greenwood, a co-founder of the network who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in the US for his involvement in the scam.
British citizens Christopher Hamilton and Robert Macdonald, who are accused of laundering OneCoin funds, have had their assets frozen, although efforts to extradite them from the US were unsuccessful. The assets under seizure include two properties in London's Kensington area purchased through offshore companies. One of these properties, a luxury apartment worth 13.
5 million British pounds, was bought for Ignatova herself, while a smaller apartment in the same building was intended for her bodyguards. Additionally, several " promoters " who attracted new investors to the scheme, including Finnish national Kari Wahlroos, Dr. Muhammad Zafar (who was arrested in Pakistan in 2021), and Indian brothers Moynul Islam and Monirul Islam, have also had their assets frozen.
These promoters, despite claiming losses themselves, are alleged to have gained substantial sums from the scheme. In the UK alone, victims are estimated to have lost over 100 million British pounds. The law firm Mishcon de Reya, which represents the class action participants, has indicated that further legal actions may be taken for additional victims.
The High Court of Justice, which issued the global injunction, is one of the primary courts in England and Wales, overseeing civil matters and other court activities throughout the UK. This injunction prevents any companies, banks, or individuals within the court 's jurisdiction from engaging in transactions related to the frozen assets. The duration of the asset freeze has not been specified in the court 's announcement.
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