Fraud squad lines up interim chief

THE Serious Fraud Office has found a replacement for departing director David Green.

But the successful candidate cannot take up the £180,000 a year post immediately so chief operating officer Mark Thompson will run the specialist prosecuting authority for now.

The SFO has major cases and investigations on its hands, including ongoing probes into Airbus and individuals at Rolls-Royce. Campaign group Corruption Watch said it was concerned the delay in announcing the director’s name suggested the process was not as politically independent as it should be, claiming it had been held up for several weeks in the Prime Minister’s office.

Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who picked Green’s replacement, said: ‘Economic crime is a growing and changing threat and tackling it is a priority. The SFO will continue to undertake crucial work to investigate and prosecute some of the most serious and complex economic crime.’