Millionaire Nicholas Hoogstraten was back in business today, vowing to take action against a tenant over unpaid rent.

The tycoon greeted news of a successful legal appeal to free his frozen assets by announcing he was launching a lawsuit against the World Bank.

He said the bank was one of his tenants in Zimbabwe, where Mr Hoogstraten has extensive financial interests.

He told The Argus from his base at Courtlands Hotel in The Drive, Hove: "They are one of my tenants in Harare and they haven't paid the rent.

"I am having a dispute with them."

The millionaire, who was once renowned for holding his tenants in contempt, was speaking after winning his appeal over a £5 million claim by the family of the man he was jailed for killing.

Three appeal judges overturned High Court rulings that resulted in his assets being frozen.

Mr Hoogstraten was jailed for ten years in 2002 for the manslaughter of slum landlord Mohammed Raja but the conviction was set aside last year.

He is now free of the financial shackles which could have held back any plans to rebuild his business empire.

And he made it clear that was what he planned to do during an interview with The Argus yesterday.

It is no surprise he is now planning further lawsuits.

His first words when he walked out of the Old Bailey in December after being cleared were that he was going "to sue just about everybody" and he would "get every penny" of his money back.

The tycoon was originally charged with hiring two hitmen, David Croke and Robert Knapp, to murder 62-year-old Mr Raja on his doorstep in Surrey.

They were each sentenced to life for killing Mr Raja but Mr Hoogstraten hinted there could be vital new evidence that could clear their names.

The family of Mr Raja had continued with the civil action.

High Court judge Mr Justice Peter Smith imposed severe penalties on Mr Hoogstraten after he failed to comply with court orders to disclose his assets. His assets were frozen worldwide, fines were imposed and his property was sequestrated.

After yesterday's hearing, the Raja family said it would continue its legal fight to recover the £5 million. Mr Hoogstraten vowed to continue his counter-claim. He said: "How is it going to go on? They haven't a bean."

Mr Hoogstraten spent the past two weeks in Hove preparing for the case and is now going back to Zimbabwe. He said: "I spend most of my time there these days and shall be there for a few weeks."

A week ago, Mr Hoogstraten privately predicted to The Argus he would win the case.

When he had been vindicated, he said: "They didn't know the law and I did."

But he said further legal actions would follow and described the judgment merely as another step up the ladder.

Mr Hoogstraten denied suggestions he was untouchable by the law. He added: "They tried to freeze my assets and were also saying things I have given away were my assets when they were not."

Mr Hoogstraten had assets worth about £120 million frozen but said their return would not personally make much difference to him.

He issued a statement saying he aims to recover substantial costs from the Raja family in further legal actions.

He alleged he had been set up by the security services worried about his interests in Zimbabwe.

The millionaire is a close friend of President Robert Mugabe and said: "They were concerned about me."