United Kingdom Recovery

Asif Ali Zardari is alleged to have purchased a 355 acre Neo-Tudor nine-bedroom mansion in Surrey in the United Kingdom which is referred to as the "Rockwood Estate." Originally purchased for GBP 2,225,000., the property's value is currently estimated at more than GBP 4 million. The funds originally used to pay for the property were issued through shell companies incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.  

After originally denying his ownership of the property, Zardari did a turnaround in August 2004 while serving a prison sentence for corruption in Pakistan by claiming to be a beneficiary of the estate. Successive clashes between lawyers in the Isle of Man helped delay recovery proceedings.  

With Zardari's elevation to the Pakistani Presidency on September 9, 2008, it is unclear whether the Pakistani authorities will continue to engage in the British civil action.