Barclays. GlaxoSmithKline. Tesco. Add in Rolls-Royce, G4S/Serco, ENRC and Alstom, and you have the nucleus of a diversified investment portfolio. But this is not the buy list of a City fund manager: these blue chip companies are all currently under investigation by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
An independent government department, the SFO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious and complex fraud and corruption. David Green QC is the man charged with supervising its operations: as SFO director, he reports directly to the attorney general, Jeremy Wright.
