Serious Fraud Office


Barclays hit with fraud charge over Qatar capital raising

The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged Barclays and four of its former workers with conspiracy to commit fraud over capital raising arrangements with Qatar Holding and Challenger Universal. The charge also includes the provision of unlawful financial assistance contrary to the Companies Act 1985. The charges relate to events in June and October […]

Moral hazard: the ghost of bail-outs past

The bailout of Espirito Santo Bank brings back unwelcome memories of the events of the last financial crisis and raises the spectre of moral hazard returning to the financial services industry both in the UK and abroad. But how far have we really come since those dark days of 2008 and the collapse of Lehman Brothers and how far do we still have to go? A quick look at recent events gives us a good indication.