Syedur Rahman, of business crime solicitors Rahman Ravelli,
explains that introducing compliance procedures can be of value
even after a company has come under investigation.
The trial of four former Barclays executives in relation to the
bank's Qatari fundraising is ongoing.
All four deny charges of fraud by false representation, a charge
which carries a maximum 10-year sentence, in relation to
£322M in secret payments made to Qatar as part of its
multi-billion pound bail-out of the bank during the 2008 financial
crisis. And it must be remembered that the SFO failed in its
attempts to reinstate criminal charges against Barclays over the
fundraising.
But the allegations, whether they are eventually proven or not,
paint a scenario that emphasises the value of sound compliance
procedures to any business that wants to avoid legal problems. And
it is never too late to introduce compliance measures – and
reap the benefits – even when an investigation has
