Section 20 - Retention of property.

Retention of property permits authorised officers to retain or continue freezing assets pending adjudication for money laundering.

An authorised officer may retain seized property or continue freezing frozen property when, on recorded material, he reasonably believes it is required for adjudication; the officer must forward the retention order and material to the Adjudicating Authority, which preserves them. On expiry of the retention period property must be returned unless the Adjudicating Authority, after being satisfied that the property is prima facie involved in money laundering and required for adjudication, authorises further retention. Release and withholding rules apply where confiscation or release orders are made, with limited withholding for appeal relevance.