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Our latest thinking on financial crime compliance, regulatory change, technology, and the forces reshaping global risk management.
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Historic US Antitrust Whistleblower Payout Signals New Enforcement Era
The US Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the US Postal Service have made their first-ever whistleblower payment, awarding $1 million to an individual whose report exposed a criminal antitrust and fraud scheme in the used vehicle auction market. The case marks a watershed moment for US competition enforcement and materially strengthens incentives for insiders to report cartel conduct. The whistleblower’s information led to charges against EBLOCK Corporation, an inte

OpusDatum
Jan 292 min read


The Culture of Facilitation: Why Bribery Is Still Misunderstood in Global Finance
In the fifteen years since the Bribery Act 2010 entered into force across the UK, corporate-compliance frameworks have adjusted dramatically. Yet despite the zero-tolerance rhetoric and the sophisticated anti-bribery, corruption and facilitation payment programmes now ubiquitous in large firms, the phenomenon of low-value facilitation payments remains surprisingly resilient in global finance. This persistence reveals more than just enforcement gaps: it exposes a deeper cultur

Elizabeth Travis
Jan 276 min read


Former NATO Procurement Official Indicted Over Military Contract Bribery Scheme
An indictment unsealed in Washington DC on 26 January 2026 has charged a former NATO procurement official and a Turkish defence contractor with operating a long running bribery scheme linked to US military and NATO construction contracts. The case underscores persistent corruption risks in defence procurement and the vulnerabilities created when insider access intersects with high value international contracts. According to the US Department of Justice, Bahadir Hatipoglu, a T

OpusDatum
Jan 262 min read


Biotech CEO Jailed for Securities Fraud & Insider Trading
A former US biotech chief executive has been sentenced to prison after misleading investors about a purported breakthrough drug and selling his own shares at inflated prices. On 26 January 2026, Nader Pourhassan, the former Chief Executive Officer of CytoDyn, received a 30 month prison sentence for securities fraud, wire fraud and insider trading, marking another high profile enforcement action against corporate executives who abuse market trust. Pourhassan, aged 62, was conv

OpusDatum
Jan 262 min read


Former Virgin Islands Commissioner Jailed for Corruption & Bribery Scheme
A former Commissioner of the US Virgin Islands Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation has been sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating a bribery scheme linked to a government procurement contract valued at $1.43 million. The case underscores ongoing vulnerabilities in public sector contracting and the importance of robust anti-corruption controls. Calvert White, formerly responsible for overseeing Sports, Parks, and Recreation, solicited and accepted a bribe

OpusDatum
Jan 232 min read


Upper Tribunal Upholds FCA Ban Against Corrupt Pension Adviser
The Upper Tribunal has upheld the Financial Conduct Authority’s decision to ban Darren Antony Reynolds from working in financial services and to fine him £2,037,892, marking one of the most serious enforcement outcomes arising from the British Steel Pension Scheme cases. The ruling, first published on 19 January 2026, represents a decisive endorsement of the FCA’s findings on dishonesty, lack of integrity and deliberate misconduct in pension transfer advice. The Tribunal agre

OpusDatum
Jan 192 min read


FCA Fines Oil Consultant £309,843 for Insider Dealing Using Drilling Information
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined oil and gas consultant Russel Gerrity £309,843 for insider dealing after he used confidential drilling information to generate personal trading profits of £128,765. The enforcement action highlights the FCA’s continued focus on market abuse and the critical role of surveillance and industry reporting in detecting misconduct. Between October 2018 and January 2022, Mr Gerrity exploited inside information obtained through his consu

OpusDatum
Jan 162 min read


Time to Retire the Whistle? Rethinking the Language of Ethical Reporting
The financial services industry has long relied on employees to act as a final line of defence against misconduct. From exposing...

Elizabeth Travis
Dec 19, 20255 min read


Bribery in Broad Daylight: Are Developing Nations Really More Corrupt than the West?
The assumption that bribery and corruption are more prevalent in developing nations has been a longstanding tenet of both media...

Elizabeth Travis
Nov 28, 20254 min read


FCA Charges Two Men with Insider Dealing Linked to GCP Takeover
The Financial Conduct Authority has launched criminal proceedings against two individuals accused of insider dealing linked to the proposed takeover of GCP Student Living Plc. The case highlights the regulator’s continued focus on market abuse, a central pillar of its five-year strategy to strengthen trust and integrity across the UK’s financial markets. According to the FCA, Bobosher Sharipov, formerly employed at Jefferies International Limited, allegedly disclosed confiden

OpusDatum
Nov 26, 20252 min read


FCA Bans & Fines Financial Advisor £100,281 for Insider Dealing
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has banned and fined financial advisor Neil Sedgwick Dwane £100,281 for insider dealing, following misconduct that breached market integrity and professional trust. In 2022, Mr Dwane, acting as an advisor for ITM Power Plc (ITM), had access to confidential market-sensitive information concerning an upcoming company announcement scheduled for 27 October. The announcement triggered a 37% drop in ITM’s share price. The day before the announc

OpusDatum
Oct 23, 20252 min read


The Voldemort of British Public Life: Why We Struggle to Say 'Corruption'
In British public discourse, there is a peculiar allergy to the word 'corruption'. From parliamentary scandals to procurement...

Elizabeth Travis
Oct 10, 20255 min read
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