Tech chief sues fraud office after extradition

MIKE LYNCH, the British technology tycoon accused of a multibillion-pound fraud over the sale of his software business, has sued the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) as he prepares to face a criminal trial in the US.

Mr Lynch has launched a data protection claim against the SFO in the High Court, according to a legal filing yesterday. He has hired lawyers from boutique litigation firm Pallas Partners to pursue the claim.

The SFO confirmed that the case related to a dispute over information requested by Mr Lynch under data protection laws. He is challenging how the SFO handled the request. Details of the case have not been made public, but the lawsuit comes weeks before Mr Lynch is scheduled to stand trial over fraud claims in California.

Mr Lynch, 58, has been charged by the US government with 17 counts of fraud over the £7bn sale of Autonomy, the former FTSE 100 company, to Hewlett Packard in 2011.

The following year, HP wrote off most of the value of the deal and accused former Autonomy executives of inflating the company’s value.

Mr Lynch made $800m (£630m) from the deal. The SFO was also an Autonomy customer and a deal involving the agency is among dozens of transactions US prosecutors have said they will use as evidence. The SFO investigated Autonomy and Mr Lynch between 2013 and 2015 but never pursued a case, instead leaving the matter to US authorities. At the time, it said there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction.

The Department of Justice charged Mr Lynch and ex-finance executive Stephen Chamberlain in 2018.

Mr Lynch spent years fighting extradition but was transferred to San Francisco last year where he is under house arrest.

His US trial is scheduled to start on March 18. Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Mr Lynch has repeatedly insisted any case against him should be heard in the UK, where the alleged fraud took place.

A representative for Mr Lynch said they could not comment.