Millions spent, reputations battered: Fraud watchdog, Dechert and ENRC legal war reaches an end Lawsuit Years of bitter litigation, millions of pounds in legal fees, and severe reputational damage: the disastrous, decade-long feud between a Kazakh mining giant, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), and a heavy-hitting City law firm has finally ended with a confidential settlement. Mining firm Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) launched legal action against the law firm [...]
Natwest hit with £250m lawsuit tied to Thurrock Council scandal Banking Natwest could be on the hook for more than a quarter of a billion pounds for allegedly aiding a businessman in secretly transferring funds from his investment firm. The FTSE 100 giant’s subsidiary – the Royal Bank of Scotland – has been engulfed in the collapse of Rockfire Group, which was triggered by a fraud [...]
SFO drops former AIM London Mining bribery case after decade-long probe Legal The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) officially dropped all charges against the former executives of London Mining, a decade after launching its probe into alleged bribery and corruption. The SFO launched an investigation in 2016 into London Mining Plc regarding alleged bribery to secure favourable treatment in Sierra Leone between 2009 and 2014. Former CEO Graeme Hossie, CFO Rachel [...]
Nick Ephgrave announces surprise retirement from Serious Fraud Office January 15, 2026 Nick Ephgrave will step down as director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) two and a half years before his first term was due to finish. The former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was appointed as the SFO’s director, taking over from Lisa Osofsky, who oversaw several errors during her tenure. Ephgrave was the [...]
‘Downfall’: Home REIT faces SFO probe into suspected bribery and fraud January 14, 2026 The UK’s top financial crime unit has unveiled a major probe into the past management of Home REIT after identifying as much as £300m in suspected fraud and bribery. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said it has carried out raids and arrests into the former London-listed social housing company, including searches at homes in Altrincham, [...]
Auditor MHA resigns from Sanjeev Gupta-owned engineering firm December 9, 2025 MHA has resigned as auditor for a subsidiary of the beleaguered metals group controlled by tycoon Sanjeev Gupta, City AM can reveal. The London-listed accounting firm has stepped down as auditor of Wolverhampton-based Clydesdale Engineering, an automotive and defence manufacturer owned by Gupta’s Liberty Steel Group, part of his GFG Alliance conglomerate. MHA declined to [...]
Tom Hayes sues UBS over Libor scandal October 28, 2025 Tom Hayes is suing his former employer UBS, alleging it handed him on a “silver platter” to white-collar crime prosecutors to safeguard the interests of the Swiss lender and its leadership. The former trader, who became the face of the Libor rate-rigging scandal when he was sentenced to nine years in a UK prison in [...]
Businesses have one defence amid ‘seismic shift’ in UK fraud law September 1, 2025 Fraud laws have received a major shake up and businesses have been sent a stark warning to be weary of the “hidden danger”. New failure to prevent fraud offence, which came into effect today, mean firms could face prosecution from fraud committed by employees – even if management was unaware of it. Large firms will [...]
UK businesses set to face tougher compliance over fraud August 26, 2025 British businesses need to prepare for a “sea change” as the new powers to tackle fraud come into effect next Monday. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) director Nick Ephgrave told City AM last year that time was running short for businesses “to get their house in order” ahead of its new powers. From 1 September, [...]
SFO faces a crisis of confidence as old sins haunt Ephgrave’s tenure July 31, 2025 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is no stranger to bad publicity, but after yet another historic case comes back to haunt it, its reputation takes another battering.