It was announced today that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has
reached a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with Airline
Services Limited (ASL).1 The DPA still remains subject to
final court approval, which will be sought at a hearing at
Southwark Crown Court (sitting at the Royal Courts of Justice) on
30 October 2020.
At the final hearing, the SFO will apply to the Court for a
declaration that the DPA is in the interests of justice, and that
its terms are fair, reasonable and proportionate. The DPA will only
come into force once it is approved in this way.
The SFO has not yet revealed the nature of the allegations
against ASL or the terms of the DPA. (Indeed, the fact that ASL is
even under investigation is not something the SFO has previously
publicised.) The SFO's website does, however, state that:
"The prospective DPA will conclude the SFO's
investigation into Airline Services Limited and this
conduct."
