Bribery and Corruption

Recent charges brought by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) highlight the need for businesses to be alert to the risk of bribes being solicited to move their projects forward, an expert in managing corruption risk has said.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/en-gb/out-law/news/bribery-arrests-bring-corruption-risks-faced-by-mining-firms-into-focus

Today at the High Court, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) successfully recovered a property worth £200,000 and over £8,000 in rental profits from Dr Guang Jiang, an agent who helped British technology company Sarclad Ltd to pay bribes to secure business in China.

https://www.sfo.gov.uk/2023/07/14/sfo-seizes-sheffield-flat-linked-to-17-million-bribery-in-china/

The Competition and Markets Authority have hit City with a fine after the club and retailer JD Sports admitted to acting illegally in deals conducted between 2018 and 2021.

Leicester City are to be fined up to £880,000 for breaching competition law as part of a deal they conducted with JD Sports.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-hit-880k-fine-8576487

Nicholas Brown, managing director of demolition contractor Brown & Mason Group, has become the fourth man in the sector to be slapped with a director’s ban over illegal cartel activity.

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/brown-mason-boss-joins-list-of-banned-demolotion-directors

US law firm Dechert has accused the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of knowingly cultivating an “improper relationship” with its former partner, corrupt City lawyer Neil Gerrard, in an ongoing legal battle concerning Kazakh mining firm ENRC.

https://www.cityam.com/enrc-uks-serious-fraud-office-must-share-blame-for-its-former-lawyers-leaks-dechert-tells-high-court/

Charges have been dropped against three former executives of G4S’s electronic tagging arm who were accused of defrauding the Ministry of Justice following a 10-year investigation.

https://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/national/23376566.fraud-case-three-ex-g4s-executives-collapses/?ref=twtrec

The UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has paused the progress of a class action against Facebook’s parent company, Meta, amid concerns over the validity of the methodology used to calculate potential damages.

https://www.pinsentmasons.com/en-gb/out-law/news/uk-competition-court-halts-class-action-claim-against-meta

Kazakh mining company ENRC today said the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) should, alongside US law firm Dechert, cover extra costs it accrued because of ex-City lawyer Neil Gerrard’s decision to leak company information to the fraud investigator, leading to the launch of a 10-year probe into the former FTSE 100 firm.

https://www.cityam.com/uks-serious-fraud-office-should-cover-enrcs-21m-costs-in-corruption-investigation-londons-high-court-hears/

The city council and its waste company are cooperating with inquiries and have handed over evidence to detectives at Avon & Somerset Police.

https://www.bristol247.com/news-and-features/news/police-investigate-alleged-fraud-avonmouth-recycling-centre/

Friday 24 February 2023 marks the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has led to one of the most significant global sanctions regimes in recent years. Following a year of unprecedented sanctions activity, we have highlighted our key takeaways for firms to consider and look out for in the coming year.

https://www.ashurst.com/en/news-and-insights/legal-updates/russian-sanctions---after-the-laws-expect-the-enforcement/