Popular golf course up for sale after fraud scandal

A prestigious English championship golf course is now up for sale after becoming embroiled in a high-profile fraud scandal. 

Mill Ride Golf Club, a popular parkland venue in Berkshire, was one of a number of assets forfeited by the wife of a jailed banker following a six-year National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into fraudulent acquisitions.

Zamira Hajjiyeva agreed to give up Mill Ride – as well as a £14million Knightsbridge house – after the NCA concluded the assets were obtained as  a “direct result of large-scale fraud and embezzlement, false accounting and money laundering.”

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Mrs Hajiveya’s husband, Jahangir, is the former longtime chairman of the International Bank of Azerbaijan and is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Baku after being convicted of multiple offences, including fraud and embezzlement.

The landmark investigation resulted in Mill Ride being part of the UK’s first unexplained wealth order, which responds to individuals with unclear sources of wealth and enables courts to seize property without having to prove a crime.

Adverts have now gone up for the club, which has been placed on the market for £4.25million.

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The course was designed by the renowned architect Donald Steel and first opened in 1990. The 72-hole championship course stretches 6,821 yards and is among the most popular in the Berkshire area.

It should also be stressed that the legal chaos has not interrupted day-to-day operations at Mill Ride. The course remains open and green fees for non-members start at £55.

The NCA have confirmed that  70% of the proceeds from the golf club sale will be kept by the government, with 30% returned to Mrs Hajiyeva.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.