A NELSON father jailed for laundering criminal cash has had an attempt to clear his name rejected by Appeal Court judges.

The Appeal Court in London heard that Mohammed Ansar, 53, of St Paul’s Road, had been jailed for 10 months at Burnley Crown Court on June 14, 2011.

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He pleaded guilty to five counts of converting or transferring criminal property totalling £92,000 At a confiscation hearing in July 2014, Ansar – who was alleged to live a ‘criminal lifestyle’ – was ordered to stump up £144,552.

That figure was said to represent his benefit from ‘general criminal conduct’ and he was told to pay up within six months or face an extra 27 months in jail.

The confiscation order was made with Ansar’s consent, said the appeal judge Mr Justice King.

The money laundering involved property acquisitions, conducted through a business operated by Ansar, and money was also ‘washed’ through a bank account he controlled.

Ansar pleaded guilty on the basis that he knew the money came from tax evasion but did not realise it was linked to drug dealing.

On appeal, he argued that his convictions should be overturned as ‘unsafe’ and that the confiscation order should never have been made.

Mr Justice King said that Ansar had been represented throughout the trial, sentencing and confiscation hearing by lawyers.

Pointing to Ansar’s guilty pleas, he said there were no arguable grounds on which his convictions could be challenged.

Mr Justice King, sitting with Lord Justice Davis and Mrs Justice Patterson, said all Ansar’s appeals were ‘without any merit’ and dismissed them.