Firstly, the Financial Conduct Authority continue their run of successful insider dealing prosecutions under Operation Tabernula.
A number of investigations under Tabernula remain before the Courts.
The Serious Fraud Office’s investigation into JJB Sports also concluded, with the acquittal of Stuart Jones – Stuart Jones found not guilty | Press room | SFO – Serious Fraud Office.
The SFO continue to make use of a wide range offences with a prosecution under section 3 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981. The SFO made the unusual step of naming a non-convicted defendant in their press release:
“Mr Jones had been due to be tried with his father, Sir David Jones. However, Sir David was unfit for trial, due to ill health, and a nolle prosequi, which brought the proceedings against him to an end, was entered in his case. During his trial, Mr Jones gave evidence that he did not know the document was a forgery, but suggested that his father, amongst others, could have been responsible”.
Finally, the biggest news of the week is the acquittal of a number of journalists for purportedly making payments to public officials – Four senior Sun journalists acquitted over payments to officials | UK news | The Guardian
Steering around the politics of Operation Elveden, the acquittals will result in some difficult meetings at the Crown Prosecution Service HQ. An unprecedented amount of time and resource has been put into this operation, and several others are in the pipeline. Yet out of a total of 24 defendants, only two have been convicted.