Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK Opens Fraud Probe Into Billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's Steel Group

UK Opens Fraud Probe Into Billionaire Sanjeev Gupta's Steel Group

GFG Alliance, owned by Indian-British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta, had been Greensill's biggest customer at the time of the finance giant's notorious collapse.

Britain's Serious Fraud Office on Friday launched a probe into steelmaker GFG Alliance, focusing partly on links with its collapsed financier Greensill.

GFG Alliance, owned by Indian-British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta, had been Greensill's biggest customer at the time of the finance giant's notorious collapse.

GFG said it would cooperate fully with the investigation.

Greensill's spectacular implosion threatens 50,000 jobs at companies around the world that relied on its financing for their supply chains, including GFG.

It also has rekindled debate on close ties between the upper echelons of British politics and finance, with former prime minister David Cameron quizzed by lawmakers on his Greensill lobbying role this week.

"The SFO is investigating suspected fraud, fraudulent trading and money laundering in relation to the financing and conduct... of companies within the Gupta Family Group Alliance, including its financing arrangements with Greensill Capital UK Ltd," the SFO said in a brief statement on Friday.

It added that no further comment would be made on the live investigation.

In a separate statement, GFG Alliance said it "is making progress in the refinancing of its operations which are benefitting from... the very strong steel, aluminium and iron ore markets".

'Potentially criminal' allegations


Britain's City watchdog the Financial Conduct Authority earlier this week launched its own Greensill probe, revealing that "potentially criminal" allegations had been made about the circumstances of its collapse.

The Greensill affair shone a light on Gupta's own criticised business practices, with the UK government describing the GFG structure as "very opaque" after declining to rescue it.

Greensill Capital, which bypassed strict regulations forced upon traditional banks, specialised in short-term corporate loans via a complex and opaque business model that ultimately sparked its declaration of insolvency in March.

GFG has operations in more than 35 countries across the world, and annual global revenues of about $20 billion according to its website.

The group has 35,000 staff worldwide, including 5,000 in Britain where its Liberty Steel division is based.

Friday's news came one day after Cameron insisted he acted appropriately in controversial lobbying for Greensill.

British lawmakers questioned him following months of scandal and revelation about his lobbying ahead of the company's collapse.

The former Conservative leader, who was an adviser to Greensill and reportedly held lucrative stock options that are now worthless, maintains he was acting in the public good.

"I really believed in the solution that we had and we were putting to government that I thought would make a difference," Cameron told the virtual Treasury Committee hearing, in his first public appearance addressing the scandal.

"I would never put forward something that I didn't think was absolutely in the interests of the public good," he said, adding he was motivated to provide a solution for small business during "exceptional times".

'Damaging' lobbying claims


Cameron, in power from 2010 to 2016, faced a series of damaging claims he improperly and excessively lobbied former government colleagues seeking support for the stricken London-headquartered company early in the pandemic.

Documents showed this week that Cameron and his office staff last year sent ministers and officials 45 emails, texts and WhatsApp messages relating to Greensill, bypassing official channels.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak has previously said he "pressured" his staff to look into Cameron's requests, but insisted they independently assessed the proposals and ultimately rejected them.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month ordered a senior lawyer to investigate the entire episode.

Australian banker Lex Greensill, the founder of the bankrupt financial company, appeared Tuesday before the same committee and insisted he took "full responsibility" for its collapse.

"To all of those affected by this, I am truly sorry," Greensill said.

He also laid blame at insurer Tokio Marine, which withdrew cover to loans issued to Greensill clients amid the coronavirus pandemic.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×