UK

Serious Fraud Office strikes settlement deal with ENRC

It came after a lengthy legal battle between the SFO and the London-headquartered Kazakh mining firm.

The Serious Fraud Office has agreed a settlement deal with ENRC
The Serious Fraud Office has agreed a settlement deal with ENRC (Alamy Stock Photo)

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has agreed a settlement with the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) amid allegations over the leaking of information.

It came after a lengthy legal battle between the SFO and the London-headquartered Kazakh mining firm.

The sum of the financial settlement was not disclosed.

The settlement was announced on Tuesday ahead of a planned seven-week trial which was due to start this week.

In 2013, the SFO initially opened an investigation in the ENRC over alleged bribery, but dropped the probe in August last year.

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During the proceedings, ENRC launched their own action in 2019, suing the body for alleged misfeasance in public office over its investigation, and seeking tens of millions of pounds in damages.

An SFO spokesman said: “Throughout this case we robustly defended the claims.

“A confidential settlement has now been agreed.”

The ENRC is also seeking damages from the SFO and its former law firm Dechert in a separate trial, which is pending.