In the first of a three-part series on the changing economic crime landscape in the UK, Kate Bridgland, Oliver Cooke & Richard Marshall put Serious Fraud Office prosecutions in the dock
- Several high-profile failed prosecutions have left the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) facing criticism.
- Significant further investment is required to allow the SFO to succeed.
The collapsed prosecution of three former executives at security contractor G4S Care and Justice Services earlier this year is the latest unfortunate result for the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in its attempts to bring charges against employees after reaching deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) with their employers.
G4S supplied electronic monitoring services to the government between 2005 and 2013. It was subsequently accused of misleading the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in relation to the extent of the profits it generated from this ‘tagging’ contract. In July 2020, G4S entered into a DPA with the SFO, agreeing to pay a penalty of £38.5m plus a contribution to the SFO’s legal costs of £5.9m. Additionally, three former GPS executives
