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Bribery & Corruption

United Kingdom

This section includes initiatives by the SFO, NCA, TI UK, UK Government among others.

UK Bribery Act 2010
Department for International Trade (DIT)
Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
Transparency International UK
National Crime Agency – International Corruption Unit (ICU)
UK Govt Anti-Corruption Strategy

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UK Home Office’s report on ‘Assessing Evidence Base of Domestic Corruption’ finds that while corruption is a recognised policy concern, limited data and fragmented research hinder effective policy-making

December 8, 2025

The report shows that while law-enforcement cases, regulatory findings and academic studies reveal corruption risks in areas such as procurement, planning, policing, local government, regulated professions and financial services, the evidence base is uneven, fragmented and often dependent on case-driven insights rather than systematic monitoring. It concludes that the UK needs stronger, more consistent data collection, clearer definitions, better cross-agency coordination and targeted research to understand the scale, drivers and enablers…

UK Home Office’s report on ‘Approaches to Recording Corruption and Monitoring Intervention’ reveals that while countries use various methods to track corruption, most lack robust evaluation of anti‑corruption strategies

December 8, 2025

The publication reviews a range of global frameworks including national corruption surveys, administrative data on bribery and enforcement outcomes, and publicly available indices highlighting strengths such as granularity, multi-stakeholder input and responsiveness to emerging trends. It concludes that better integration of administrative, perceptual and sector-specific data, alongside clearer definitions and more consistent methodologies, would enhance the accuracy, comparability and policy relevance of corruption…

UK Home Office’s Survey on Public Perceptions of Corruption shows growing public concern over corruption, driven by doubts about political integrity, public-sector conduct, and influence of money in politics

December 8, 2025

The research finds that although most people have limited direct experience of corruption, they believe it is widespread, particularly in areas involving political influence, procurement, lobbying, and the behaviour of senior officials — with trust closely tied to transparency and accountability. It also shows that the public has a varied and sometimes incomplete understanding of what constitutes corruption, highlighting the need for clearer communication, stronger integrity standards and more visible enforcement to restore confidence in public institutions…

UK SFO secures conviction of AOG Technics Director for fraudulently selling aircraft engine parts with forged documents, triggering serious global aviation safety risks

December 1, 2025

Jose Alejandro Zamora Yrala, director of London-based AOG Technics, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to operating his company for fraudulent purposes by falsifying origin and status documentation for CFM56 aircraft engine parts used on Boeing and Airbus jets. The SFO’s investigation, conducted with Portuguese authorities, revealed that from 2019 to 2023 these forged parts were sold to airlines, maintenance operators and suppliers worldwide, prompting safety alerts and temporary grounding of affected aircraft…

GRECO Compliance Report finds the UK has bolstered anti-corruption safeguards through stronger independent investigations, enhanced transparency for senior officials, and tighter police vetting

November 27, 2025

GRECO concludes that eight of its twelve recommendations from the Fifth Round evaluation have been satisfactorily implemented, with a further three partly addressed and only one not yet implemented. The report highlights reforms such as strengthened powers for the adviser on ministers’ interests to investigate breaches of the Ministerial Code, improved transparency and updated declarations of interest for senior officials, and comprehensive integrity and disciplinary reforms across police services…

UK SFO’s updated Guidance on Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programmes integrates the new ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence and spotlights 6 scenarios from prosecution decisions to DPA eligibility and monitorships

November 26, 2025

The updated guidance outlines six scenarios in which SFO may assess a company’s compliance programme — including prosecutions, deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs), monitorships, potential “adequate/ reasonable procedures” defences under anti-fraud and anti-bribery legislation, and as a factor in sentencing decisions. It aims to provide greater transparency for organisations on how compliance-effectiveness will influence prosecutorial and remedial choices, and encourages companies to ensure that their compliance frameworks are well-designed, effectively implemented, documented and capable of evolving to meet enforcement standards…

UK SFO launches its first major cryptocurrency fraud investigation, probing a collapsed scheme called Basis Markets, which reportedly raised about US $28M via NFTs and token sales

November 20, 2025

The SFO, working with Metropolitan Police and West Yorkshire Police, has arrested two men on suspicion of fraud and money laundering following coordinated raids in London and West Yorkshire targeting Basis Markets, which raised funds through NFT and token sales in late 2021.The investigation seeks to trace the flow of roughly $28 million raised from investors — funds that may have been misrepresented, misused, or diverted — underscoring rising enforcement against unregulated crypto schemes…

TI-UK’s report Safeguarding Football from Illicit Finance warns that opaque ownership and weak due diligence leave UK football exposed to ML, urging stronger transparency and source-of-funds checks

October 25, 2025

The report responds to the Independent Football Regulator consultation and emphasises the need to integrate football governance into the UK’s broader economic-crime architecture, noting the sport’s vulnerability given the UK’s role as a destination for £100 billion in laundered funds annually. It outlines key criteria for the gatekeeper role — identifying all persons who may influence or control clubs, applying enhanced integrity….

TI-UK’s Guide on Investing with Integrity III urges investors to make integrity risk management a core part of portfolio oversight to protect assets and uphold ethical investment standards

October 25, 2025

The guide addresses gaps in how impact investors manage corruption and other integrity risks in emerging and frontier markets. It introduces a structured monitoring framework covering 10 key components of integrity risk management and emphasises ongoing collaboration between investors and investees to build capacity and track both quantitative and qualitative data…

FCA releases a review on romance fraud, urging banks and payment firms to boost detection systems, train staff to spot vulnerable customers early, and provide better support to victims

October 21, 2025

Firms often struggle to detect such scams, as fraudsters exploit trust, ask for low-value payments first, and victims frequently misrepresent payment purposes (42% of cases). Good practices were identified—such as using data-points (dating-site spend, previous fraud victims), temporary payment blocks, and tailored after-care—but many firms still miss red flags (e.g., multiple payments to one beneficiary, crypto transfers, new accounts) and lack consistent support for vulnerable customers…

UK’s Anti-Corruption Champion, Baroness Margaret Hodge visits the BVI to assess progress on implementing BO registers and strengthen financial transparency and AML efforts

September 22, 2025

Baroness Margaret Hodge meets with government, financial, and legal sector stakeholders in the BVI on 23-24 September to assess progress on commitments made in November 2024 for beneficial ownership registers with legitimate interest access. She will report her findings and recommendations to the UK’s Minister of State for the Overseas Territories to help ensure the BVI meets the UK’s minimum transparency requirements…

UK Anti-Corruption Coalition sends open letter to Deputy PM David Lammy, urging him to continue his leadership in tackling dirty money and to commit to hosting the planned International Summit on Illicit Finance

September 13, 2025

The letter commended Lammy’s prior efforts at the Foreign Office, which garnered cross-government and cross-party support, and highlighted the risk of losing momentum without his sustained focus. The letter emphasized the potential for the Ministry of Justice to contribute significantly to anti-illicit finance efforts, including enhancing cross-border…

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