Serious Fraud Office accused of cover-up in Tom Martin unfair dismissal claim24 Oct 2019 13:14
Lawyers have accused the Serious Fraud Office of trying to ban reporting of an unfair dismissal claim to prevent details of its working environment becoming public.
It is understood that the fraud office has applied to the employment tribunal for a privacy order in a hearing brought by a former senior investigator. The allegations are thought to involve embarrassing claims about the agency’s relations with counterparts in America.
The case is being brought by Tom Martin, a senior lawyer and case controller. Mr Martin was suspended by the agency in August last year and left the organisation last December.
According to the Financial Times, the fraud office suspended Mr Martin over allegations of an altercation involving him and an FBI official. It is reported that while in a pub in Belgravia, central London, Mr Martin allegedly swore at the US official before accusing him of being a “quisling”, or collaborator.
An employment tribunal hearing has been listed for December.
The fraud office would not comment. It is understood that it will apply under rule 50 of the tribunal procedures for the hearing to be held in private. That rule states that the media and others can be banned from proceedings if doing so is “in the interests of justice”.
Officials are said to fear that a public hearing would jeopardise active investigations. However, specialist fraud lawyers dismissed that approach as a potential smokescreen.
Lawyers said that the tribunal and fraud office could put provisions in place that would allow an open hearing but would prevent evidence that would compromise investigations from being made in public.
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