Civil Fraud

Astraea Group has particular expertise in issues concerning the tracing and recovery of assets in civil fraud cases and is regularly instructed by government and public bodies in large scale fraud investigations.

Astraea Group is currently instructed in Singapore in the largest ever civil fraud, concerning the alleged US$5.6bn diversion of funds from the Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund, 1MDB. Our expertise in money laundering compliance has led to our retention by several City law firms as standing Counsel on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorism Financing (CTF) compliance.

We have also been instructed in Moldova to identify and trace the proceeds of that country’s $1bn banking fraud. On 2nd August 2018 James Ramsden KC jointly presented a report on the fraud with leading forensic investigation company, Quintel Intelligence, at the Sputnik Centre in Chisinau.

Since May 2007, James Ramsden KC has been appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel of counsel instructed to carry out asset tracing and confiscation applications under the Serious Organised Crime & Police Act.

Astraea Group also has particular expertise in the developing area of Unexplained Wealth Orders.