Martin Coyle
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coylester10.bsky.social
Martin Coyle
@coylester10.bsky.social
270 followers 350 following 2 posts
Correspondent covering bribery, corruption and financial crime at @MLexclusive
Email me at coyle@mlex.com. Might be the odd watford tweet.
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Reposted by Martin Coyle
srubenfeld.bsky.social
When Europe's top foreign-bribery prosecutors said they would band together to strengthen enforcement, they played down the notion that they were responding to a US retreat -- but the timing means it's not hard to make a link.

w/ @coylester10.bsky.social

www.mlex.com/mlex/financi...
When Europe’s top foreign-bribery prosecutors said they would band together to strengthen enforcement, they played down the notion that they were responding to a US retreat — but the timing means it's hard not to make a link. The UK’s Serious Fraud Office, Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General and France's Parquet National Financier struck a deal in London yesterday that will see them work more closely. The trio of agencies, which alongside the US have been the most aggressive in fighting international corruption, said they would collaborate more on cases and share information and strategy. They made clear that the joint task force could grow, saying “like-minded” agencies in other jurisdictions would be invited. Their declaration was light on detail, and given the already close ties between the agencies and the work done on previous cases, it's unclear how much will change in practice. Thomas Cattee, a partner at Gherson Solicitors and a former SFO lawyer, said the move would create "strong foundations" for increased enforcement efforts internationally. "This is especially pertinent in the aftermath of the US President's recent pause of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement," he said. “The significance … lies in its symbolism and its timing — given recent anti-corruption enforcement developments in the United States — rather than its practical effect,” said Lloyd Firth, a lawyer at Wilmer Hale specializing in white-collar criminal defense.
March 21, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Reposted by Martin Coyle
srubenfeld.bsky.social
UK fraud investigators are teaming up with their Swiss and French counterparts to create an anti-bribery task force in the wake of US moves under President Donald Trump to dampen anti-corruption enforcement.

w/ @coylester10.bsky.social

www.mlex.com/mlex/financi...
UK fraud investigators are to team up with Swiss and French counterparts to create an anti-bribery taskforce in the wake of US moves to dampen foreign bribery enforcement. The Serious Fraud Office will collaborate with Switzerland's Office of the Attorney General and France's Parquet National Financier to strengthen their international ties. Aside from the US, these three are the main prosecutors of foreign bribery cases. The agreement, signed in London today, will see the countries share information and strategy on bribery cases and set up a working group to increase co-operation on investigations. The trio left the door open for other agencies to join the group. “We will, by our mutual agreement, invite other like-minded agencies involved in tackling international bribery and corruption to join the taskforce,” a joint statement said today. “The commitment we have made today reaffirms our individual and collective commitment to tackling the pernicious threat of international bribery and corruption, wherever it occurs. We will make use of every power and partnership available to confront this criminality,” SFO head Nick Ephgrave said. The European agencies' move comes just over a month after a decision by US President Donald Trump to pause foreign bribery enforcement and to shift prosecutors’ focus to drug cartel activity instead. Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 10 titled “Pausing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement to Further American Economic and National Security." The US has previously been at the forefront of international bribery enforcement and is seen as a kind of world police force. It has previously worked with the Swiss, French and UK prosecutors to bring home big-ticket bribery cases, such as those involving Rolls-Royce and Airbus. Last month, however, Trump ordered a six-month halt on new bribery enforcement and directed the US attorney general to review existing cases, throwing a handful of pending trials into limbo.
March 20, 2025 at 3:46 PM
coylester10.bsky.social
Good explainer of the issues in the Tulip Siddiq saga here by @csc-barrington.bsky.social
csc-barrington.bsky.social Prof Robert Barrington @csc-barrington.bsky.social · Jan 6
🧵 What to make of the Tulip Siddiq affair? 1. Allegations of corruption are increasingly common in politics and we should beware their use as a smear tactic. But I'm not sure that's happening here. @transparencyuk.bsky.social @ukanticorruptioncoalition.org @spotlightcorruption.org
January 7, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Reposted by Martin Coyle
suehawley.bsky.social
Great reporting by @jdowsea.bsky.social - Bob Stewart failed to register significant payments when an MP from a defence firm, and worked with a company at the heart of the UK's first McMafia order. Is a parliamentary ban now he's no longer an MP an adequate sanction?
www.occrp.org/en/news/form...
Former British MP Faces Parliamentary Ban After Failing to Properly Register Work for Controversial Company
Bob Stewart worked with a company alleged to have helped launder money from Azerbaijan, although there’s no suggestion the former MP played any role in the scheme.
www.occrp.org
December 6, 2024 at 4:35 PM
coylester10.bsky.social
As Margot says, corruption-linked sanctions today against Dos Santos and Firtash, are just a start...
margotmollat.bsky.social Margot Mollat @margotmollat.bsky.social · Nov 21
These new sanctions & Lammy's announcements are an exciting step-change in the Government's approach to tackling dirty money and corruption.

But to meet its stated ambitions & ensure the 'golden age of money laundering is over', the Government still has a long road ahead.
transparencyuk.bsky.social Transparency International UK @transparencyuk.bsky.social · Nov 21
Great to see new sanctions on known kleptocrats as part of a new FCDO campaign against corruption and dirty money.

This most welcome gear-shift in the use of the UK’s anti-corruption sanctions regime addresses some of the historic flood of dirty money into our economy.

www.gov.uk/government/n...
November 21, 2024 at 2:53 PM