News

‘No case to answer’ ruling in case against former Tesco executives

Mr Justice John Royce has ruled that Christopher Bush and John Scouler have no case to answer over alleged financial misreporting that saw Tesco overstate its profits by more than £250m in 2014.

Keynote address at the FCPA Conference, Washington DC

Director Lisa Osofsky speaking at the 35th International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in Washington DC on 28th November 2018.

UK’s first Deferred Prosecution Agreement, between the SFO and Standard Bank, successfully ends

Today the Serious Fraud Office announced the end of the UK’s first Deferred Prosecution Agreement, confirming that Standard Bank PLC (now known as ICBC Standard Bank PLC) had fully complied with its terms.

9 convicted in £16m and $21m FH Bertling bribery cases

Stephen Emler and Giuseppe Morreale pleaded guilty for their part in a corrupt scheme to secure a ConocoPhillips freight forwarding contract, eventually worth over £16m, for FH Bertling as part of the ‘Jasmine’ North Sea oil exploration project.

Current priorities and future directions

Matthew Wagstaff, Joint Head of Bribery & Corruption, speaking at The Lawyer’s Managing Risk and Litigation 2018 Conference.

Engage now or hide behind smoke and mirrors at your peril

Hannah von Dadelszen, Joint Head of Fraud, at the Pinsent Masons Business Crime and Compliance conference, London.

Osman Shahenshah & Shahid Ullah sentenced to 30 years for Afren fraud & money laundering

Today, Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah received a total of 30 years for fraud and money laundering offences they had committed whilst they were CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Afren Plc.

Barclays PLC and Barclays Bank PLC

As Barclays have reported in their Regulatory News Service announcement, the High Court has today ruled against the SFO’s application, seeking to reinstate the charges previously dismissed in the Crown Court.

Ex-Afren CEO & COO convicted of fraud and money laundering over $300 million oil business deal

Today, Osman Shahenshah and Shahid Ullah were found guilty of fraud and money laundering offences from which they personally received more than $17m and laundered $45m by deceiving the Afren Board into agreeing a $300m business deal.

Pace, proactivity and cooperation: challenges and priorities for the SFO today

Lisa Osofsky, Director, at the New York University School of Law, Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, October 12 2018.

Patisserie Holdings PLC

Following this morning’s Regulatory News Service announcement by Patisserie Holdings PLC, the SFO confirms that its Director has opened a criminal investigation into an individual.

We can give no further information or comment at this time.

SFO begins action to recover proceeds of alleged corrupt telecoms deals in Uzbekistan

The claim concerns a number of assets, including three UK properties, which the SFO alleges were obtained using the proceeds of corrupt deals in Uzbekistan involving Gulnara Karimova and Rustam Madumarov.