The Attorney General, Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, ordered an independent investigation into the Serious Fraud Office on February 9, 2022, to determine what went wrong in the Unaoil case and what adjustments were required to prevent recurrence of the failings noted in the judgement.
The review was headed by Sir David Calvert-Smith, a former High Court judge and director of public prosecutions.
The Attorney General made the following remarks regarding the Review:
I want to express my gratitude to Sir David and the team for conducting the Review.
I thoroughly evaluated the conclusions and spoke with the SFO Director about them.
We both agree with Sir David’s suggestions. I paid for this review in order to make sure that the lessons from the Unaoil case would not be repeated.
The Director and I still consider this a top priority.
“A clear plan of action has been devised to address the Review recommendations, building on work already done by the SFO.
I’ll be keeping a careful eye on the SFO’s implementation of that plan and will give Parliament an update in November 2022 and February 2023.
I am aware that the SFO has received suggestions from Brian Altman QC as a result of the Independent Review he carried out for the SFO following the “R v Woods and Marshall” ruling, and the SFO will be posting more information on this.
The Director of the Serious Fraud Office commented on the Review and said:
“Our top objective is to implement the suggestions made by Brian Altman QC and Sir David Calvert Smith.
“The assessments are a grim read for anyone who believes in the SFO’s mission and purpose, but we wanted to determine what happened in these two situations from the beginning and apply the results to enhance our performance.
“I already can’t claim that the SFO of today is the same organisation I inherited.
While the knowledge and tenacity of our hardworking employees remain unwavering, a new senior leadership team has prioritised technological investment, implemented a strict case prioritisation system, and included a change programme to transform the SFO’s working procedures and culture.
The SFO’s purpose is of the utmost importance since it entails combating the most serious and complicated financial crimes, ensuring victims’ rights, and safeguarding the UK economy from fraud, bribery, and corruption offenders.
I’m determined to make sure that these reviews contribute to our ability to move forward confidently and clearly.