OFFICIAL

Written evidence from the National Crime Agency (FSP0018)

Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MP

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee

By email: FAC@parliament.uk

18 March 2019             
 

Dear Mr Tugendhat

I am writing in response to the oral evidence given by Bill Browder to the Foreign Affairs Committee as part of your inquiry into Global Britain: the future of UK sanctions policy (reference: HC 1703). The session, which took place on 13 February 2019, mentions two matters which I wish to address in turn here.

1) Under question 32, Mr Browder raises concerns regarding a Russian money laundering investigation in the UK stating the following: “The National Crime Agency actually had a person in charge of the international money laundering team who started an investigation. He was subsequenly told by the person above him in the National Crime Agency, who was the liaison at the Foreign Office, not to investigate.” He goes on to say: “There was clearly political interference in this lack of investigation but the National Crime Agency swears that there was no political interference.”

              The National Crime Agency (NCA) has reviewed the decision making in this case and is confident that there was no political influence in the NCA’s process. Mr Browder approached the NCA in 2015 seeking an investigation into these allegations. The matter was considered within the International Corruption Unit and in late 2015 Mr Browder was informed that the NCA had considered the case and that a criminal investigation was not an effective way forward. Instead, the NCA intended to support other overseas jurisdictions with on-going enquiries into Mr Browder’s case.

Additional material provided to the agency by Bill Browder in early 2016 was reviewed by a senior manager of the International Corruption Unit who made a recommendation that the material was not sufficient to launch a UK investigation. This decision was ratified by the Director of Economic Crime. The evidence required for a successful prosecution or the recovery of illicit funds is significant and in this case we judged that there was no realistic prospect of this within the UK. For this reason the NCA has offered, and continues to offer, assistance to foreign partners better placed to investigate Mr Browder's allegations.

2) Under the same question (32), Mr Browder referrred to the Surrey Police investigation relating to the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy, which ocurred during my tenure as Chief Constable of Surrey Police. On 19 December 2018, the coroner presiding over the inquest into the death of Alexander Perepilichnyy, Judge Nicholas hilliard QC, returned a verdict of natural causes. This supported the conclusion reached by Surrey Police in 2013 following a full investigation, including two post-mortems and an extensive range of toxicology tests. No evidence of any third party involvement in Mr Perepilichnyy’s death was found. Surrey Police has accepted that some organisational errors were made in the early stages of the initial investigation. These issues were reviewed and addressed by the Force at the time.

Please do not hestitate to be in contact if you require any further information.

Lynne Owens CBE QPM

Director General

National Crime Agency