§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Solicitor-General what the prosecution costs were in the case against Graham Browne; what the result of the prosecution was; and what further costs arose from the result of the prosecution. [20903]
The Solicitor-General: Graham Browne stood trial at the central criminal court between 29 October 2001 and 7 November 2001 on a charge of blackmail. It was alleged by the Crown that he, a former employee of Barclays bank and the head of an encryption team, wrote to them under an assumed name, informing them that their security was at risk and demanding that 14 named individuals (of whom he was one) should be employed at a cost of £25 million to ensure that security was not breached. Key security codes were included in the correspondence. The jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty.
The time and overhead costs of the lawyer caseworker and administrative staff engaged in the case were about £10,000. A total of £1,942.65 has been paid in witness expenses. The actual costs to the Crown Prosecution Service in bringing the prosecution have not yet been finally determined. These costs do not include the fees of prosecution counsel which are currently being negotiated.