Preacher of hate faces loss of two houses

Abu Hamza, the jailed Muslim Cleric and former Acton resident, has been accused of buying a house in Greenford whilst his assets were supposedly frozen. Proceedings have now been started that could mean that the property is confiscated and his family lose the council house which his wife and six children currently reside in.

An investigation by the Legal Services Commission, (LSC) which is responsible for monitoring payments of legal aid, has exposed what they believe is a money trail leading back from the £220,000 purchase in 2004 of the three bedroom semi on Hicks Avenue to the previous sale of a house by Hamza in Adie Road Hammersmith. Hamza bought the Council Flat in Adie Road under the right to buy scheme in 1999. He paid £100,000 for a property which he sold in 2004 or £228,000. It is being alleged that he used the profits from that sale whilst in Belmarsh jail to buy the Greenford property.

Hamza's potential legal aid bill has so far totaled an estimated £250,000 although his solicitors have yet to issue a claim. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is in the process of applying for a Recovering Defence Costs Order to be imposed on Hamza which would force him to pay his own legal bills. The Treasury and the UN had frozen Hamza's assets so he should have been unable to purchase property but the transaction was registered in his sister's name. She is a resident of Egypt.

The property in Greenford had been let out to up to 20 Polish builders at a time and had been the cause of complaints from residents due to neglect and noise coming from the property.

Hamza was jailed for seven years earlier this after being found guilty of soliciting murder and hate crimes. He has launched an appeal against the verdict which is due to start later this month. MP for Ealing North, Stephen Pound said, "Abu Hamza is a cheerleader and fundraiser for international terrorism. I would rather he was in the middle of the A40 than have a house next to it."

Hamza also may stand to lose his family home as Hammersmith and Fulham Council have announced that they are investigating the right of his wife, Najat Chaffe, and family to continue residing there. The £600,000 property on the borders of Shepherd's Bush and Acton was allocated to his wife after she claimed Hamza had assaulted her. However, he continued to reside at the house and the couple had several more children after the assault allegations. The property is next door to the home of Government Minister, John Hutton and on the same street as his colleague Ben Bradshaw. The road has been dubbed 'Hooky Street' as a result of its association with Hamza.

The Council will be looking into whether Hamza's wife received any of the rental income from the property in Greenford. This should have been declared as she was in receipt of state benefits. A court order has been obtained by the Legal Services Commission and Najat Chaffe is one of three people named on the document as being forbidden to have any dealings with the Greenford property.

October 12, 2006