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Germany Plans New Powers to Investigate, Seize Unexplained Wealth

By Koos Couvée

German officials plan to introduce new powers similar to U.K. unexplained wealth orders next year amid concerns over their country's ability to review, freeze and seize criminal assets with unclear ownership. On Oct. 26, Germany's federal government pitched legislation to improve implementation and enforcement of commercial and financial embargos by establishing a federal sanctions agency and newly requiring foreign legal entities that own real estate in the country to disclose their beneficial owners. But an annex to the bill, which follows the enactment of a related sanctions law in May, also indicates that officials view further legal reforms as necessary...

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