§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Attorney-General on what date the offices of ISC in West London were sealed by agents of Her Majesty's Government. [36698]
§ The Attorney-General[holding answer 17 July 1996]: The offices of ISC in west London were never sealed by officials of the Serious Fraud Office or by the police who worked in conjunction with them.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Attorney-General when his office was advised of evidence of fraud related to ISC-Ferranti committed within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom; and what subsequent action was taken. [36696]
§ The Attorney-General[holding answer 17 July 1996]: In September 1989 the Serious Fraud Office commenced an investigation into suspected fraud relating to ISC-Ferranti, and my office was informed. The investigation was carried out in close co-operation with the United States prosecuting authorities, because they had already commenced a separate investigation and it was apparent that all the potential defendants were United States citizens residing in the United States.
At the conclusion of the investigation, 17 individuals and three corporations were indicted in the United States on charges of fraud.
In December 1991, James Guerin, the former deputy chairman of Ferranti International Signals plc—the company which resulted from the merger of Ferranti and ISC in 1987—pleaded guilty before the federal court in Philadelphia to offences involving fraud in respect of the merged company, committed both in the United Kingdom and in the USA. All offences which might have been the subject of a United Kingdom trial were encompassed in the US indictment, and thus no proceedings were taken in the United Kingdom. James Guerin was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Attorney-General if he will list each instance in which he exercised the power of the nolle prosegui in relation to the collapse of ISC-Ferranti. [36697]
§ The Attorney-General[holding answer 17 July 1996]: No nolle prosequi was issued in relation to the collapse of ISC-Ferranti. James Guerin, the former deputy chairman of Ferranti International Signals plc, and Robert 460W Shireman, former financial director of ISC (Technologies) Ltd., who had entered into plea agreements with the United States Attorney were granted limited immunity from prosecution by the then director of the Serious Fraud Office. The Serious Fraud Office undertook, in return for their co-operation with the investigation, not to prosecute Mr. Guerin and Mr. Shireman here for any offence in respect of which they were to be prosecuted in the United States. Mr. Geurin was subsequently sentenced to the United States to 15 years' imprisonment.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Attorney-General when his office was advised that there was evidence of fraud related to the merger of ISC and Ferranti; and which agency or agencies so advised. [36695]
§ The Attorney-General[holding answer 17 July 1996]: My office was first advised on the inquiry by the Serious Fraud Office in September 1989, and was thereafter kept informed of the progress of the inquiry.