LONDON, Jan. 15 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Nick EphgraveQPM, the Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), will retireat the end ofMarch.
The decisioncomesafter 38 yearsserving the public, holdingsenior rolesinUK law enforcement,withthe Metropolitan and Surreypoliceforcesas well as the National Police Chiefs' Council.
He will remain in post until the end ofMarchduring whichtimean interim Director will be appointedpending a formal recruitment process for his successor.
Nick Ephgrave said:
It is withgreat pridethat I reflect on the enormous progress the SFO has made in the last two and a half years.
We have achieved more things, more quickly than even I thoughtpossible thanksentirely to the enthusiasm,commitmentand can-do attitude fromeveryone at the SFO.
I am certain that the momentum we have created will continue to propel theorganisationforward tobigger and betterthings.
I would like to thank each and every colleague for their support and hard work, without which none of this could havehappened.
MrEphgrave set out to redefine the ambition and scope of the SFO, overseeinga focus onproactivity,innovationand pace. This hasincludedasharper, faster caseworkapproach,the use of artificial intelligence and machine learningin support ofimproved disclosurepracticeandthe creation of a crypto-asset capability.
Successesduring his tenureinclude bringingcharges against five men for complex fraud offences linked to the collapse of law firm Axiom Ince in just 15 months, the fastest intheorganisation'shistory.
Last month,a guilty pleawas securedfromthe director of a company that soldaircraftengine parts with forged documentationjusttwo yearsafter launching an investigation.
In addition, the SFOcontinues to bea leading partner inglobalanti-corruption work.Of particular significanceis thefounding of the first internationalAnti-CorruptionProsecutorialTaskforce, deliveringan enhanced operational partnership between keyEuropeanpartners.
From the outset,MrEphgrave haschampioned theincentivisationof whistleblowers todriveup referral rates and increasecorporate prosecutions.In recentweekstheGovernmentcommittedto assessing the feasibility of financial incentive schemes forthosereporting economic crimeas part of its new UK Anti-Corruption Strategy.
Nick Ephgrave added:
I shall miss the job and SFO colleagues so very much but will reflect on the progress we have made together with pride and satisfaction.
I believe we have achieved what we set out to do: create a rejuvenated SFO that is strong, confident,dynamicand pragmatic. It has an even greater future ahead.
Attorney General Richard Hermer KC said:
I want to paythewarmest ofpersonal and professionaltributesto Nick Ephgrave as he retires aftera long careerin public service.
Nick brought over three decades ofpoliceexperience to the Serious Fraud Officeand as Director, hemodernisedtheorganisation'sapproach to tackling serious fraud, bribery and corruption, strengthened its capabilities, and secured important convictions in complex economic crime cases.
Hisenergy,expertise,integrity,determinationand commitment to public servicehaveleft a lasting markon the SFO and on the police forces in which he served. I thank him for his dedication,pay tribute to hisfamily fortheirsupportand wish him all theverybestfor hiswell-deservedretirement.
Claire Bassett, Chair of the Board, said:
Nick has led the SFO with tremendous energy and vision over the last two and a half years, transforming its approach to tackling complex crime.
His legacy is a reinvigoratedorganisationwhich is well placed to build on swifter and more effective approaches to delivering justice.
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Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
