A £100-million fraud trial against five Manchester businessmen collapsed last month because of “muddle, incompetence and lack of frankness” by Customs & Excise in disclosing evidence to defence lawyers, a judge said.
Arif Chandoo, Amjad Baig, Sandeep Golechha, Aqeel Ali and Mohamed Kamal Uddin stood accused of a fraud that involved importing mobile telephones from elsewhere in the European Union to a company that then vanished owing £100million in VAT. Mr Justice Crane said that the trial at Southwark Crown Court collapsed — costing tens of millions of pounds — apparently because Customs & Excise had decided that, instead of disclosing evidence, it would protect other investigations, and that the trial had been a victim of “damage limitation”. Proceedings against the five men were stayed.
This week Lord Goldsmith, QC, the Attorney-General, announced controversial plans to abolish jury trial in complex fraud cases.