Application by the claimant for interim injunctive relief to allow her access to her bank accounts. Her husband, a Syrian, had been identified as a person who has been benefitting from, or supporting, the regime in Syria, and had had his bank accounts frozen accordingly. Barclays replied that the funds in Mrs Hmicho’s three personal accounts with Barclays belonged to, or were owned or held or controlled by, Mr Hmicho, a designated person, and as such Barclays was prohibited from dealing with the funds in Mrs Hmicho’s personal accounts.
Held: The application failed. Picken J said: ‘I cannot have the necessary ‘high degree of assurance’ that Barclays is not entitled to hold the reasonable suspicion that the funds in the accounts which are the subject of Mrs Hmicho’s application belong to, or are owned or controlled by, Mr Hmicho.’
Picken J
[2015] EWHC 1757 (QB)
Bailii
Council Regulation (EU) No. 36/2012, Council Implementing Regulation 2015/780, Syria (European Union Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2012
England and Wales
Banking
Updated: 01 January 2022; Ref: scu.549247