The Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO) Corporate Co-operation Guidance has arrived in the form of a five-page document. https://www.sfo.gov.uk/download/corporate-co-operation-guidance/ In it, the SFO defines co-operation as “providing assistance to the SFO that goes above and beyond what the law requires” and details eleven general practices that companies should consider when preserving material and giving it to […]

2017 was an important year for the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”). The Government’s plan to merge the SFO with the National Crime Agency was scrapped, seemingly securing the SFO’s future as an independent investigator and prosecutor. 2018 looks set to be equally important. Director of the SFO, David Green, is due to step down, […]

After a revolution overthrew Ukraine’s disgraced president, Theresa May promised to help the country’s new leaders recover stolen assets. But the UK’s first case collapsed within a year. On 11 March 2014, a London branch of the French bank BNP Paribas received a request from a Ukrainian lawyer. He asked the bank to close accounts […]

The SFO has published a speech by Hannah von Dadelszen, Joint Head of Fraud at the SFO, on fighting fraud. In her speech, Ms von Dadelszen focused on the factors which give rise to an SFO investigation, including: whether the apparent criminality undermines UK PLC commercial or financial interests in general and in the City of London […]

The UK Government is considering significant changes to the law on corporate crime. These changes follow criticism from prosecutors, politicians and others that the current regime makes it too difficult to hold companies criminally liable for economic crimes such as fraud, false accounting and money-laundering. This briefing takes a closer look at the proposals for […]

Chancellor tells MPs another 43 wealthy individuals are under review as a result of inquiries following Mossack Fonseca leak. Twenty-two people face civil and criminal investigations into suspected tax evasion following the disclosure of the Panama Papers, the chancellor has told MPs. Philip Hammond also said a further 43 wealthy individuals were under review while […]

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has launched an investigation into allegations of “fraud, bribery and corruption” in the civil aviation business of Airbus. The allegations relate to irregularities concerning third party consultants. The France-based aircraft manufacturer said it was co-operating with the probe, which was launched last month. In April, UK authorities froze export […]

On 8 July 2016, Sir Brian Leveson LJ approved a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) between the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and a company, XYZ, for offences of conspiracy to corrupt, conspiracy to bribe and failure to prevent bribery (under s.7 Bribery Act 2010) in relation to offending between 2004 and 2012. The financial terms of […]