
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) today charged seven people with 13 charges in respect of conspiracy to deal on inside information obtained by the defendants from two major investment banks.
One defendant has additionally been charged with an offence in relation to money laundering. A warrant for the arrest of another person in connection with this investigation has been issued. The charges are based on allegations that cover a two-year-period and involve alleged unlawful profits of about GBP2.5 million.
These charges follow the searches and arrest of eight suspects on 29 July 2008. The charges are unconnected with other searches, including the recent searches on Tuesday 23 March 2010.
Following the examination of intelligence and trading analysis the 21-month investigation involved a team of 35 investigators, lawyers and support staff examining (amongst other things) more than 75 electronic devices containing more than 200,000 electronic files, 130 individual trading accounts, analysing more than 150,000 entries of publicly available information and taking more than 250 witness statements.
The defendants have been bailed to appear at City of Westminster Magistrate's Court 14 April.
No further details can be confirmed at this time.
Charges: