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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · 5d

NEW: Libel lawyers Carter-Ruck sought to – in their own words – "silence" a police fraud investigator on behalf of OneCoin, a $4bn crypto scam.

The latest on Carter-Ruck's reckoning by me and @simonlock.bsky.social for @tbij.bsky.social

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

City lawyers tried to ‘silence’ police fraud investigator

Carter-Ruck launched campaign against London detective on behalf of $4bn crypto scam, according to court documents

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · 18d

NEW: Explosive documents revealed in an ongoing case against Carter-Ruck partner Claire Gill have pulled back the curtain on London’s reputation management industry.

There’s more to come, but for now, have a read: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

‘Send a clear message’: Carter-Ruck’s dirty tactics on behalf of $4bn…

Stunning new documents lay bare law firm’s attempts to silence whistleblowers and cast doubt on police probe

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 22

And how many thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of pounds have been spent defending this, I wonder?

www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Noel Clarke loses libel case against Guardian over sexual misconduct investigation

High court rejects actor’s claim that accusations against him by more than 20 women were false and part of a conspiracy

www.theguardian.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 7

And finally, my colleague Simon's mammoth investigation into Roman Abramovich's tax affairs – one of the best pieces I've read this year:

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Roman Abramovich may owe UK £1bn in unpaid tax

Leaked documents suggest oligarch's billions were managed from UK, undermining offshore tax avoidance plan

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 7

For further reading, here are the other parts of the series:

1/ www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
2/ www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024...
3/ www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024...

HMRC prosecutes less than five tax evasion enablers in a year

Legal actions against facilitators stand at next to nothing – and new figures differ wildly from those previously given

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 7

The original story was part of a series on HMRC's patchy record of pursuing criminal proceedings – particularly against corporates and the wealthy, largely done with The Observer.

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2024...

HMRC fines zero ‘enablers’ of offshore tax evasion in five years

Experts say authority is failing to punish the architects of tax-dodging schemes while aggressively pursuing their clients

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 7

NEW: HMRC has charged its first company under a landmark new offence brought in eight years ago.

We previously reported on the lack of any charges back in January of last year – and now, HMRC claims its first prosecution.

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

HMRC charges Bennett Verby as first company under tax evasion powers

Stockport accountancy firm becomes first to be charged under law brought in eight years ago

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 6

The original story, a 5,000 word deep dive on the "most feared" libel firm in the UK is here: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2023...

Anyway, if you like the work, become a member today – TBIJ relies on donations and even small amounts go a long way: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/support-us

Britain’s fiercest libel firm can pursue anyone, anywhere

The government is trying to rein in firms like Carter-Ruck. It’s not easy

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 6

OneCoin caused losses to victims estimated in the billions.

Carter-Ruck wrote letters threatening lawsuits to those trying to expose the fraud.

To understand the scale of OneCoin's devastation, nothing's better than the pod – and there's more to come.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...

BBC Sounds - The Missing Cryptoqueen

Dr Ruja persuaded millions to join her financial revolution - then she disappeared. Why?

www.bbc.co.uk

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Aug 6

NEW: The legal regulator has announced that it is prosecuting a senior lawyer at libel firm Carter-Ruck for an “improper” threat to sue.

The complaint to the regulator was filed after our @tbij.bsky.social & @economist.com longread on the firm.

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Carter-Ruck partner prosecuted for ‘improper’ threat to sue

Claire Gill understood to be facing tribunal over letter attempting to silence victim of a huge fraud scheme, as reported by TBIJ

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Jul 23

NEW: Anduril, a weapons tech company, launched a behind-the-scenes lobbying blitz in the UK – and it’s already paying off in the millions.

New @tbij.bsky.social piece, led by @niamhmcintyre.bsky.social, out now with @politico.com

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Anduril’s lobbying blitz: AI arms company trains its sights on UK

The ‘defence disruptor’ has launched a charm offensive in Westminster – and it’s already paying off in the millions

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 22

Oh.

www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

The Biden Official Who Doesn’t Oppose Trump’s Student Deportations

Why the Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt blames universities for “opening the door” to the Trump Administration’s professed campaign to tackle antisemitism.

www.newyorker.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 20

“The cell adjoining Amira’s held prisoners from Gaza, whose torture was unending. He could hear them screaming through the walls. One day he caught himself pleading with a bird that settled on a window ledge, begging it ‘not to leave, to stay and speak to me.’”

harpers.org/archive/2025...

After Nonviolence, by Ben Ehrenreich

The end of peaceful resistance in Palestine

harpers.org

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Reposted by Ed Siddons

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

NEW: Queen Elizabeth’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of an alleged war criminal, Rifaat Al-Assad, the "butcher of Hama" and uncle of Bashar.

Via @tbij.bsky.social & @theguardian.com

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Queen’s lawyer helped manage millions for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of…

Mark Bridges worked for ‘butcher of Hama’ while advising the British monarch

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Reposted by Ed Siddons

Simon Lock @simonlock.bsky.social · Apr 17

Latest investigation from my esteemed colleague @edsiddons.bsky.social - give it a read...

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

NEW: Queen Elizabeth’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of an alleged war criminal, Rifaat Al-Assad, the "butcher of Hama" and uncle of Bashar.

Via @tbij.bsky.social & @theguardian.com

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Queen’s lawyer helped manage millions for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of…

Mark Bridges worked for ‘butcher of Hama’ while advising the British monarch

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

Anyway, read the story! It's worth your time.

Guardian version out in tomorrow's paper:

www.theguardian.com/law/2025/apr...

Queen Elizabeth II’s solicitor managed offshore wealth for Assad’s uncle

Exclusive: Mark Bridges of Farrer & Co was trustee for Rifaat al-Assad, later charged with war crimes in 2024

www.theguardian.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

In 2021, Swiss prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Rifaat.

In 2024, Switzerland charged him with war crimes.

Now, his whereabouts are unknown, after the implosion of the Assad regime sent family members fleeing across the world.

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

Rifaat Al-Assad has always denied the war crimes charges, and Bridges – through Farrer – said they had "credible information" which undermined reports in the media at the time.

But Rifaat has never had to face justice. Convicted in 2020 for money laundering stolen Syrian public funds, he fled.

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

Allegations of atrocities against Rifaat were widely known at the point Bridges began working as a trustee of his offshore wealth in 1999. They were also the subject of fresh coverage following the death of his brother Hafez the following year.

Estimates suggests tens of thousands died at Hama.

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Reposted by Ed Siddons

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism @tbij.bsky.social · Apr 17

🚨 Queen Elizabeth’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of the “butcher of Hama” – an uncle of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad who has repeatedly been accused of war crimes

Queen’s lawyer helped manage millions for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of…

Mark Bridges worked for ‘butcher of Hama’ while advising the British monarch

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Apr 17

NEW: Queen Elizabeth’s private solicitor spent eight years helping to manage the offshore wealth of an alleged war criminal, Rifaat Al-Assad, the "butcher of Hama" and uncle of Bashar.

Via @tbij.bsky.social & @theguardian.com

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

Queen’s lawyer helped manage millions for Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of…

Mark Bridges worked for ‘butcher of Hama’ while advising the British monarch

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Mar 29

Claire Aston of @taxwatch.bsky.social also slammed HMRC’s “wild misrepresentation of confidentiality” while @danneidle.bsky.social raised serious concerns about HMRC’s secrecy in withholding figures.

Tackling enablers is vital to HMRC’s tax crackdown. Hard to see much good in these numbers.

Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Mar 29

“This makes a mockery of FOI laws,” said Lord Sikka. “Parliament can’t properly question HMRC because it hides behind a veil of confidentiality [while] ministers just shrug their shoulders and carry on.”

@premnsikka.bsky.social

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Mar 29

Fewer than five enablers of tax evasion were prosecuted last year – at most, a quarter as many as faced charges five years ago.

But we don't even know the exact number. HMRC declined to provide exact figures citing confidentiality concerns, even though prosecutions are matters of public record.

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Ed Siddons @edsiddons.bsky.social · Mar 29

NEW: Prosecutions of people who enable tax evasion have plummeted in recent years – worse still, HMRC gave Parliament inaccurate figures when questioned on this two years ago, sparking anger in the Lords.

Via @tbij.bsky.social & in tomorrow's Observer:

www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...

HMRC prosecutes less than five tax evasion enablers in a year

Legal actions against facilitators stand at next to nothing – and new figures differ wildly from those previously given

www.thebureauinvestigates.com

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