UK-Eurojust Working Arrangement: practical and operational co-operation on serious & organised crime etc. 20 Dec 21. 

Government proposes strengthening insolvency regulation: Consultation ends 25 Mar 22:  The Insolvency Service: 21 Dec 21, following the APPG on Fair Business Banking report Resolving Insolvency: Restoring Confidence in the System: Sep 21. 

The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated: Transparency Int: 20 Dec 21. 

 Together in Electric Schemes: Analysing Money Laundering Risk in E-Payments: Transp Int – UK: 17 Dec 21. 

National Cyber Security Strategy 2022: Cabinet Office:  15 Dec 21.  

UK Anti-Corruption Strategy 2017-2022: Year 3 Update – 2020: HO / DfID, FCDO: 11 Dec 21: Summary 

2021 Payment Threats and Fraud trends Report: EPC 6 Dec 21. 

Fraud and the Justice System: New Inquiry:  on how fraud investigated and prosecuted: deadline for written submissions 17 Jan 22: 3 Dec 2: Justice Committee. 

New tool to support sentencing in the Crown Court: SentencingACE (avoidance of common errors): 17 Dec 21 

Bounce Back Loan Scheme: An update: NAO/ HMT /DBEIS / BBB: 3 Dec 21: Part 2 includes an update on fraud estimates and counterfraud measures. 

FCA: 

• Highlights of the FCA’s new approach in 2021: 31 Dec 21. 
• First FCA prosecution for failing to provide key passwords for seized devices: 22 Dec 21. 
• FCA fines HSBC Bank plc £63.9m for deficient transaction monitoring controls: 17 Dec 21. 

• NatWest fined £264m for ML failures: 13 Dec 12. [For sentencing remarks see SENTENCING & CONFISCATION above). 

SFO: 

Unaoil: (i) CA ruling in Akle and Bond: [2021] EWCA Crim 1879; (ii) SFO director’s position ‘untenable’ after damning ruling, lawyers say; Law Soc Gazette: 10 Dec 21.(iii) A-G begins review of SFO after judges overturn bribery conviction: Guardian: 10 Dec 21: (iv) Former oil executive appeals Unaoil bribery conviction following Akle’s successful appeal: Reuters: 20 Dec 21 

SFO secures confiscation against former Petrofac executive: Security Matters 23 Dec 21. 

HOME: 

• HMRC fraud squad takes back £1B from offenders in past 5 years: HMRC: 30 Dec 21  
• 2 international fraudsters jailed for total 33 years for £70m ML scheme (£10m from Bounceback loans): CPS: 23 Dec 21  
• PRA fines Metro Bank £5.3m for failures in regulatory reporting governance and controls:  PRA: 22 Dec 21: Final Notice 
• PRA fines Standard Chartered Bank £46.5m for failing to be open and cooperative with PRA and for failings in regulatory reporting governance and controls: PRS: 20 Dec 21. Final Notice     

EU & ABROAD: 

• NatWest pleads guilty to U.S. fraud charges, to pay $35m for “spoofing” US Treasury debt markets: Reuters: 22 Dec 21.
•  EBA plans central AML database to help identify material AML & ATF weaknesses: EBA: 20 Dec 21. 
• Paris appeals court slashes UBS tax evasion fine to €1.8 B  for helping residents commit tax fraud: France 24: 13 Dec 21 

Commission fines UBS, Barclays, RBS, HSBC and Credit Suisse €344m for participating in a Foreign Exchange spot trading cartel: EC:  2 Dec 21.