The Crown has applied to freeze the assets of Terrence St. Patrick Smith, the former Bermuda Housing Corporation officer accused of trying to defraud the quango of almost $1.4 million. The Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has made the application under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to replace a previous application that was granted against Smith and his wife Veronica last year.

Smith, who last week faced 49 charges of defrauding BHC of $1,393,291, owns a luxury three storey home in Tee Street, Devonshire, which has a swimming pool. Consultant at the DPP Kulandra Ratneser said yesterday: “The application is to replace a previous application that was in place.

“The application is based on the recent charges against Mr. Smith and the application is to freeze his assets.”

Smith, who was sacked from BHC almost two years ago along with former general manager Raymonde Dill, was released on bail last week and will re-appear at Magistrates' Court on August 13 to elect whether to have a long-form or short-form preliminary inquiry.

The matter is indictable, meaning it can only be tried at Supreme Court, and Smith was not required to plea.

He is the only person charged so far in connection with the BHC fraud investigation.