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ARTICLE · 26 SEPTEMBER 2013

SFO Lays Its First Charges Under The Bribery Act

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The Serious Fraud Office has published a press release announcing it has charged four men with offences of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to furnish false information, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

United KingdomCriminal Law
Harvey Knight
Harvey Knight
Kirsten Lapham
Kirsten Lapham
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The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has published a press release announcing it has charged four men with offences of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation and conspiracy to furnish false information, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 (CLA 1977). It has also charged three of those four men with offences of making and accepting a financial advantage, contrary to sections 1(1) and 2(1) of the Bribery Act 2010 (Act). These are the first charges to be brought by the SFO under the Act.

The charges relate to an SFO investigation into the promotion and sale of bio fuel investment products, involving Jatropha tree plantations in South East Asia, by Sustainable Agroenergy Plc and Sustainable Wealth Investments UK Ltd and associated companies to UK investors. The value of the alleged fraud is approximately £23 million and the offences are alleged to have taken place between April 2011 and February 2012. The Sustainable Growth Group group of companies

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