Aziz Rahman assesses the resources being allocated to tackling economic crime

With a report by the charity Spotlight on Corruption arguing that funding for combatting economic crime is inadequate, Aziz Rahman wrote a piece, which featured on Fraud Intelligence examining the issue.

In his article, Aziz details government funding on economic crime and outlines why Spotlight on Corruption’s report has gained support from some quarters. With the argument often being made that enforcement agencies struggle when the subjects of their investigations can throw huge funds at a case, Aziz argues that the report paints a far from optimistic picture.

The report’s publication comes at a time when the Serious Fraud Office’s (SFO’s) work is being reviewed by the Attorney General, after the quashing of a bribery conviction that saw the agency criticised heavily. But Aziz argues that the UK situation is not as gloomy as the report would suggest.

He emphasises that the UK has been at the forefront of many large cases and that its enforcement agencies can work well without a dependence on extra resources. Aziz also highlights the SFO’s ability to obtain blockbuster funding when it needs extra resources for an investigation and its use of deferred prosecution agreements  - both of which have helped it hold the largest corporations to account.

He concludes that the issue of resources is an important one when it comes to tackling economic crime – but it is not the only one.

Aziz's article featured on Fraud Intelligence. (Subscription required)