MPs call for full breakup of audit’s Big Four in wake of scandals April 2, 2019 MPs have triggered a war of words in the City after calling for a radical breakup of accountancy’s Big Four firms. A highly-anticipated report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) Committee, released today, said the audit and consultancy arms of Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC should be forcibly divided to drive up competition [...]
Euribor rate-rigging trial delivers the fraud office a much-needed win April 1, 2019 The convictions of two former Barclays bankers in the Serious Fraud Office’s long and protracted probe into Euribor manipulation will inject a new sense of purpose into an agency weary from a string of defeats and climbdowns. Today Carlo Palombo and Colin Bermingham were sentenced to a combined nine years in prison for their role in [...]
Ex-Barclays traders sentenced to combined nine years in prison in Euribor rigging trial April 1, 2019 Two former Barclays traders were sentenced to a combined nine years in prison today after they were found guilty of rigging the Euribor interest rate benchmark. Sentencing, Judge Gledhill handed Carlo Palombo four years in prison and Colin Bermingham five years for their part in conspiring to manipulate Euribor, the euro currency's money market reference [...]
Former Barclays banker Colin Bermingham found guilty of Euribor rigging March 28, 2019 A second former Barclays banker in the Euribor rigging trial has been convicted at Southwark Crown Court. Colin Bermingham was today found guilty of manipulating the Euribor benchmark by a majority verdict of a jury of nine men and three women. His conviction follows that of Carlo Palombo, another Barclays employee who was convicted of the same offence [...]
Mining giant ENRC sues UK fraud office for £70m over long-running corruption investigation March 26, 2019 Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) is suing the UK's fraud agency for £70m over its conduct during a long-running probe into alleged corruption at the Kazakh miner. ENRC, which was delisted from the FTSE in 2013, has accused the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of “arbitrary, oppressive and unconstitutional conduct” in relation to its investigation into [...]
Former Barclays banker found guilty of Euribor rigging March 26, 2019 A former Barclays banker has been found guilty of manipulating the Euribor interest rate benchmark while another was acquitted of the same offence. Carlo Palombo was today found guilty by a jury of nine men and three women at Southwark Crown Court after five days of deliberations and a two-month trial. Sisse Bohart, also a former [...]
DEBATE: The Mueller report has cleared Trump of collusion with Russia – is this the end of his legal worries? March 26, 2019 The Mueller report has cleared Trump of collusion with Russia – is this the end of his legal worries? YES, says Sarah Elliott, chair of Republicans Overseas UK After two years and over $25m of taxpayer funds, the big conspiracy, perpetuated by the Trump-deranged media, that the 45th President was elected because of Russian collusion has [...]
Abolishing residential leasehold could create more problems than it will solve March 26, 2019 If you own a flat, the chances are you are a residential leaseholder. Until recently, the leasehold structure was the only form of ownership for flats and other properties benefiting from common areas and shared services. But recent cases of misconduct in the residential leasehold sector have captured the public imagination, leading to intense government [...]
Stormy Daniels’ former lawyer released on £227,000 bail following Nike extortion charges March 26, 2019 The US lawyer who acted for porn star Stormy Daniels in her dispute with Donald Trump has been released on $300,000 (£227,000) bail after he was accused of extorting more than $20m from Nike. Michael Avenatti stands accused of fraud over a meeting with a lawyer for Nike in which it is alleged he threatened to release damaging information [...]
Institute of Directors concerned over future of UK corporate governance under new audit regulator March 21, 2019 The Institute of Directors has expressed concern over the future of corporate governance in the UK following the establishment of a new audit regulator. The influential business organisation said the proposed regulator that is set to replace the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), which is being abolished in the wake of a string of corporate scandals, [...]