A Liverpool businessman has declined to reveal how much he paid Liverpool City Council for two sites that are now subject to a police investigation.
Elliot Lawless, chairman of the Elliot Group, was arrested in December 2019 along with then Liverpool Council regeneration chief Nick Kavanagh. More than £300,000 in cash was seized during raids on property linked to Mr Lawless, who was questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, bribery and corruption.
That seizure was later ruled unlawful. Both men, who have denied any wrongdoing, were arrested as part of an investigation into building and development contracts in the city.
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Neither man has been charged with any offence. Mr Kavanagh was later dismissed by the council.
In 2020 the ECHO obtained a high court judgement which followed a judicial review into Mr Lawless's arrest. The document revealed that Mr Lawless was arrested in relation to two sites who bought from the council in the city's Georgian quarter.
The sites were 40-50 Percy Street/53-57 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool L8, and 68 Falkner Street, Liverpool L7.
The judgement said that there was an allegation of an "an improperly preferential basis."
When the ECHO asked how much Mr Lawless paid for the site, a spokesman for the Elliot Group said:“Both acquisitions achieved a good sale price for the council and were subject to lengthy negotiation and the detailed oversight of lawyers on both sides.
"These are two high quality schemes which are fully occupied and which add considerable value to their settings. We’re proud of what we delivered for the city."
A spokesperson for Liverpool council said: "We have no comment to make on this due to ongoing legal matters."
When Mr Lawless was arrested police seized £337,342 in cash and 10,442.10 Euros.
However, following the judicial review application, Mr Lawless secured the acceptance of Merseyside Police the search warrant used on December 18 was to be quashed and the entry of those addresses, searches of them and the seizures that followed were unlawful.
Mr Justice Robin Knowles, provided a summary of the investigation in the judgement.
It read: "Merseyside Police’s Economic Crime Unit is conducting an investigation into the sale by Liverpool City Council, and its officials, of land and building property in the Liverpool city area.
"The investigation is focused on the purchase by the claimant’s entities of two properties from Liverpool City Council, 40-50 Percy Street/53-57 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool L8, and 68 Falkner Street, Liverpool L7, on what is alleged to be an improperly preferential basis."
In response to the outcome of the judicial review Merseyside Police said there had been 'technical issues' with three warrants executed at Beetham Plaza on December 18 2019.
The force agreed to quash the warrants but said they would hold on to the money seized as part of the investigation 'under the Proceeds of Crime Act.'
The money has not been returned to Mr Lawless. Mr Lawless still runs the Elliot Group property company.
