SFO lives to fight another day as Amber Rudd announces new economic crime centre to combat City fraud December 11, 2017 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has dodged Tory plans to close it down, but will be subject to direct orders from the National Crime Agency (NCA). The announcement comes as home secretary Amber Rudd said that financial crime “can ruin people’s lives” and announced a framework to crack down on money laundering. She commented: “Today [...]
Rio Tinto caves in to shareholder pressure and scraps appointment of Tory chief Sir Mick Davis November 26, 2017 Mining giant Rio Tinto has scrapped plans to appoint the chief exec of the Conservative party as its new chairman, according to reports. Frontrunner Sir Mick Davis is “no longer in the running” to replace Jan du Plessis after a shareholder revolt. City sources told Sky News over the weekend several institutional investors had drawn [...]
Unaoil bribery probe: Serious Fraud Office (SFO) charges Ziad Akle and Basil Al Jarah in Unaoil investigation November 16, 2017 The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) today charged two people amid an ongoing investigation into Monaco-based oil firm Unaoil. Ziad Akle and Basil Al Jarah were both charged by requisition with conspiracy to make corrupt payments to secure contracts in Iraq to Unaoil’s client SBM Offshore between June 2005 and August 2011. Akle was Unaoil’s [...]
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) slaps Merrill Lynch with £34.5m fine for derivative trading failings October 23, 2017 The City’s top watchdog has slapped banking giant Merrill Lynch with a £34.5m fine for not reporting tens of millions of derivative trades over a two year period. The groundbreaking enforcement action by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) follows Merrill Lynch’s failure to report details of 68.5m derivative transactions under the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation [...]
Tesco directors were responsible for ‘bullying’ employees into false accounting collusion September 29, 2017 Three former Tesco directors have been called "bullies" in court as their trial for fraud and false accounting draws to a close. Former Tesco UK managing director Christopher Bush, former commercial director for food John Scouler, and former finance director Carl Rogberg were today described as the "generals" who gave orders to the "footsoldiers" by [...]
Former Tesco executives “misled” the stock market, court told in fraud trial September 29, 2017 The stock market was “misled” by the actions of three former Tesco executives on trial for fraud, prosecutors told a court earlier today. Christopher Bush, Carl Rogberg, and John Scouler, who all held senior positions at the retailer, are on trial for charges of fraud and false accounting. In opening arguments today, lead prosecutor Sasha [...]
London businesses suffer the highest level of employee frauds in the UK September 18, 2017 British businesses lost at least £40m last year from frauds perpetrated by their own employees, with London accounting for the largest chunk by far, new data published today has revealed. Losses from employee fraud were highest in the Greater London area covered by the Metropolitan Police, at £7m in 2016/17, according to government figures obtained [...]
Former Tesco (TSCO) executives set to appear in UK court on fraud charges September 3, 2017 Three former Tesco executives will appear in court tomorrow, charged with fraud relating to the supermarket’s 2014 accounting scandal. The three men were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) last September, and pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing at the beginning of August. Read more: Co-op’s the latest supermarket to drop [...]
G4S wins another government tagging contract for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) despite £109m fraud scandal and ongoing probe July 9, 2017 G4S, the security services company which appears unable to do any wrong, has won a new tagging contract despite a fraud scandal which saw it repay almost £109m to the government. Read more: G4S agrees to tagging payout as profits slide The Ministry of Justice confirmed that G4S has again been selected to supply tagging [...]
Property mogul Vincent Tchenguiz wants to sell his portfolio of Hilton hotels for £600m, Savills and JLL have been appointed as advisers July 5, 2017 Vincent Tchenguiz is looking to sell a portfolio of 10 Hilton-branded hotels for £600m. “We’ve had these hotels for nearly 15 years and I think now is a good opportunity to sell them,” the property mogul told City A.M. Tchenguiz confirmed he is looking to sell the 603-bedroom Kensington Hilton individually for £300m. However, he [...]