Fraud squad successfully puts funds linked to Chad oil corruption claims on ice January 23, 2017 The fraud squad has today secured a property freezing order worth over £4m. The Court of Appeal decided to enforce the property freezing order against Ikram Mahamat Saleh, covering £4.4m plus interest, which represents the sale proceeds of 800,000 shares in Canadian oil and gas company Caracal Energy, formerly known as Griffiths Energy International. The Serious Fraud Office [...]
Nick Leeson’s lawyer called in by Rolls-Royce ex-boss as fraud squad widens its net January 22, 2017 The ex-boss of Rolls-Royce has called in the lawyer who defended rogue trader Nick Leeson as the fraud squad’s probe into his former company hones in on individuals. Sir John Rose, who was chief executive of the engine maker from 1996 to 2011, has appointed Stephen Pollard, a white collar crime expert at London law [...]
Fraud squad’s year-and-a-half long investigation set Soma Oil & Gas back £4.5m January 17, 2017 The fraud squad's year-and-a-half long investigation into Soma Oil & Gas cost the company £4.5m, City A.M. has learned. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) opened an investigation into Soma in July 2015 following allegations of bribery and corruption before closing it in December last year. The UK company, which is chaired by former Tory leader Lord [...]
Rolls-Royce to pay £671m to settle corruption probes with three global fraud squads January 16, 2017 Rolls-Royce is in the final stages of locking down corruption and bribery probe settlements worth £671m in total with three authorities around the world, with the lion's share going to the UK's fraud squad. The British engineering company today announced today it has reached in principle a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), [...]
Soma Oil & Gas probe set fraud squad back almost £60k, after investigation was dropped late last year January 15, 2017 The fraud squad’s investigation into Soma Oil & Gas set it back almost £60,000, City A.M. has learned. Answering a Freedom of Information request, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) revealed it spent £59,912 on its investigation into the oil company, which opened in July 2015, following allegations of bribery and corruption. The figure does not [...]
Accused ex-Barclays trader was given no legal guidance by employer, lawyer says January 11, 2017 The lawyer for an ex-Barclays trader facing forex-fixing claims in the US has hit back at the trader's former employer for not giving him enough guidance on the law. Chris Ashton was late last night charged by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) with conspiring to fix prices and rig bids in the foreign exchange [...]
Libor trio to face confiscation orders next month, as hearing scheduled to begin in February January 8, 2017 Three ex-Barclays bankers who were found guilty last year of Libor-rigging offences now face being stripped of their property when they return to court again next month. When they were sentenced last July, it was also announced that Jonathan Mathew, Jay Merchant and Alex Pabon would face a confiscation hearing at a later date. City A.M. [...]
White collar crime crackdown expected in 2017, as UK prosecutors hone in on Bribery Act January 8, 2017 This year will see renewed efforts on clamping down on white collar crime, particularly as prosecutors chase convictions under the Bribery Act, experts have told City A.M. Prosecutions for bribery offences have been picking up pace ever since the Bribery Act 2010 came into force in 2011. Last year marked the first time a company was sentenced [...]
13 events that will change the world in 2017: Article 50, Snapchat’s IPO, more Libor trials and a vote on Heathrow January 3, 2017 2017 looks like it's going to be a busy one: we're looking ahead to some of the key business and political events already pencilled in for this year's calendar. 1. Supreme court to rule on Article 50 The Supreme Court is due to deliver its ruling on Gina Miller's case this month (Source: Getty) The Supreme [...]
RBS and Barclays among cartels of banks fined by Swiss watchdog for rate rigging December 21, 2016 The Swiss Competition Commission (Comco) has today fined a group of international banks 99m Swiss francs (£78m) over their involvement in four separate cartels, including some aimed at manipulating Libor. The largest element of the fine went to a group of four banks which Comco claims acted in a cartel to fix Euribor for various lengths of time [...]