Author: Pulse Assent

Foreign Office Minister for the Americas, Sir Alan Duncan said:

I am deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in Nicaragua, particularly the excessive use of force by the authorities and pro-government armed groups against the people of Nicaragua. Reports of human rights abuses, including the use of live ammunition, are alarming and should be thoroughly investigated. For stability to return to the country the Nicaraguan Government must take responsibility for ending the violence and provide safe conditions for peaceful dialogue to resume.

The UK supports the work by the Organisation of American States, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the UN, and we urge the Nicaraguan authorities to allow them to carry out their work without any interference. We also welcome the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference’s mediation role and encourage all parties to commit to a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The conference forms part of the CMA’s commitment to explore challenges for the vulnerable in the UK, particularly in response to the growth of digital markets.

Andrew Tyrie, Chair of the CMA, said:

Companies and traders across the UK need to know that if they’re ripping people off, and exploiting the vulnerable, the CMA may be round to see them.

It has already been accepted, in principle, that the CMA’s powers need to be bolstered, including giving us the power to fine firms if they break consumer protection law.

And if it turns out that we still don’t have all the powers we need, we will ask for them.

All options are on the table. That includes more vigorous enforcement, tough market wide intervention and legislative change. Staying where we are is not an option.

As part of a re-examination of the CMA’s legislative framework, I have asked for further work to be done on how the regime could be strengthened better to protect the vulnerable.

Helping vulnerable people is one of the CMA’s strategic priorities in its Annual Plan for 2018/19 and also a priority for the Government, as set out in its Modernising Consumers Markets Green Paper.

The CMA is undertaking a programme of work on supporting vulnerable people. It will publish a final report later this year, which will draw on findings from the conference, a series of roundtables and targeted research. This includes looking at the poverty premium – the extent to which those on low incomes may pay more for the same goods and services than those on higher incomes.

The work will help inform the CMA’s future case selection, its analysis of markets and the development of remedies to consumer problems.

Notes to editors

Media enquiries should be directed to press@cma.gov.uk or 020 3738 6460.

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Beverley Anne Mason, MA, Archdeacon of Richmond and Craven, to the Suffragan See of Warrington, in the Diocese of Liverpool, in succession to the Right Reverend Richard Finn Blackburn, MA, who resigned on the 31st May 2018.

The Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox QC MP, has today (24 July) announced that Max Hill QC has been appointed as the next Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Leading barrister Max Hill will leave his posts as Head of Red Lion Chambers and Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to lead the CPS. His tenure as DPP will begin on 1st November for a renewable term of 5 years.

Max Hill brings a unique combination of legal expertise and public service at the highest levels, demonstrated most recently through his role as Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. He is also the former Leader of the South Eastern Circuit (2014-16) and Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (2011-12). Whilst unable to advise or appear in terrorism related cases during his tenure as Independent Reviewer, Max maintains a heavyweight crime practice, defending and prosecuting in a number of complex cases of homicide, violent crime and high value fraud and corporate crime. He also has extensive advisory experience both nationally and internationally. Max has been instructed in many of the most significant and high-profile murder trials in recent years, including the second set of trials concerning the killing of Damilola Taylor and the London bombings of 2005.

Max Hill was appointed by the Attorney General after a rigorous and open competition, overseen by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Commenting on the appointment, the Attorney General said:

I am very pleased to announce that Max Hill will be the next Director of Public Prosecutions. Mr Hill is a distinguished and extremely experienced Queen’s Counsel who has demonstrated a profound commitment both to the criminal justice system and to public service. I am very grateful to him for taking on these onerous responsibilities.

I am confident that he will be a good and collaborative leader of the Crown Prosecution Service and a principled and strongly independent chief prosecutor. The public will rightly expect nothing less.

He will now build on the achievements of Alison Saunders to whom I am grateful for her 32 years of public service. The role of DPP is difficult and requires exceptional qualities of judgement and character. I am looking forward to working with the new Director.

Commenting on his appointment, Max Hill said:

I am honoured to be the next Director of Public Prosecutions. I am grateful to Alison Saunders for her service and look forward to building on her legacy. This is a challenging time for the CPS, with the rise in complex cases and negative publicity about its handling of disclosure in some cases. I have seen first-hand the sterling work of the CPS and I am determined to restore public trust in all of its work.

As set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1987, the Attorney General appoints the DPP.

The process to recruit the next DPP began under the previous Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP. It was completed and approved by the new Attorney General after his appointment on 9 July.
The current DPP will serve her full five year term, which is due to end in October 2018.

Max Hill QC Biography:

Max Hill QC is Head of Red Lion Chambers and, since March 2017, the current Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. He is also the former Leader of the South Eastern Circuit (2014-16) and Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association (2011-12). Whilst unable to advise or appear in terrorism related cases during his tenure as Independent Reviewer, Max maintains a heavyweight crime practice, defending and prosecuting in a number of complex cases of homicide, violent crime and high value fraud and corporate crime. He also has extensive advisory experience both nationally and internationally. Max has been instructed in many of the most significant and high-profile murder trials in recent years, including the second set of trials concerning the killing of Damilola Taylor, and the London bombings of 2005. Murder cases include R v Long (2015), R v Campbell and others (2014-5) and R v O’Driscoll (2014).

Max defends in substantial fraud cases, including tax fraud. In fraud, he was instructed for the defence in the SFO Forex (Foreign Exchange) investigation and the long-running SFO pharmaceutical cartel case. His terrorism cases include R v Bourgass and others (the ricin conspiracy), R v Ibrahim and others (the 21/7 bombers), R v Ali and others and R v Girma and others (the 21/7 follow-on trials). He appeared for the Government in the Binyam Mohamed case in the Administrative Court. He acted for the Metropolitan Police in the Inquests into the 7th July London bombings. Most recently he prosecuted a London taxi driver and bomb-maker for the killing of a US soldier in R v Sardar (2015). He also prosecuted two men who gave sums of money to the Paris and Brussels terror suspect Abrini, engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism. Max appeared as lead prosecution counsel, alongside Michelle Nelson, in Channel 4’s The Trial (2017) in which real juries, together with actual barristers and judges, tried a fictional Murder case in order to explore the workings of the jury system.

• 50 specialists being recruited to help vulnerable victims and witnesses
• Recruits to support courts and police in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Thames Valley
• Government acts to meet increased regional demand for ‘Registered Intermediaries’

Registered Intermediaries (RIs) are used in criminal proceedings to help vulnerable witnesses communicate their evidence to the police and in court. RIs recently helped victims and witnesses ranging from a two-year old, to a dying man with motor neurone disease give courtroom evidence.

Around 50 RIs are being recruited in the South East, to provide support in the police force areas of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Thames Valley.

The Government is focussing on the South East, given the region had the highest number of unmatched requests for intermediary support for witnesses between October 2017 to March 2018.

A witness might need the help of a Registered Intermediary because of their age, or a learning, mental or physical disability or disorder. An effective RI can often be the difference between a witness being able to give their best evidence or not.

Justice Minister Lucy Frazer said:

It is vital that victims and witnesses, particularly those who are vulnerable, get the support they need to give their best evidence.

The vast majority of those who need help already receive it – with over 90% of requests for intermediaries met last year.

Our targeted recruitment drive will ensure access to justice for even more vulnerable people, through the help of trained professionals who understand their specific needs and well-being.

Applicants in the South East have until 27 July to apply and should visit – https://bit.ly/2O5Yx9I

Jennifer Beaumont, an occupational therapist who has been a registered intermediary since 2009, said:

I saw an advert to become a Registered Intermediary, I had no idea what one was, nor the vital role they play in the criminal justice system.

No two cases are the same, and knowing that you have helped a vulnerable person who would have found it difficult to gain fair access to justice, in terms of communicating their best evidence, is incredibly rewarding.

The role has taken me across England and Wales as well as on deployment to Kenya to facilitate a child to give evidence via video link to a British Court.

Our work cannot be underestimated, and I’m pleased more victims and witnesses will now be able to benefit from having an RI facilitate communication in the criminal justice system.

The Ministry of Justice recently doubled the size of the registered intermediary scheme with more than 6,500 witnesses last year supported by an RI and over 90 per cent of requests being met.

Training has also been strengthened to ensure victims and witnesses have the best support possible to be involved in the court process.

Notes to editors

• RIs come from a wide background of professional backgrounds, including speech and language therapy, social work and mental health professions.
• The Ministry of Justice is looking to recruit around 50 RIs to their Registered Intermediary Scheme to provide support in the police force areas of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Thames Valley. You must live in or near this area (a neighbouring police force area) to be eligible, not meeting this requirement could result in your application being withdrawn.
• Successful recruitment has already taken place in the East Midlands, with 27 successful candidates being trained up this summer. Attention has now focussed to the South East to meet growing demand for RIs in the area, with further recruitment campaigns scheduled in other regions throughout the year.

Jawwad Ansar was the sole director of Cheap Flight House Limited (CFH). The company was incorporated on 8 November 2010 before being purchased by Jawwad Ansar on 15 February 2017, the same day he took over as sole director of the company.

However, the company went into liquidation on 10 March 2017, 23 days after Mr Ansar took over the company, having traded since 2010 with declared creditors of £5.5m and a declared book debt of £2m due from sub agents.

Jawwad Ansar told investigators from the Insolvency Service, who were looking into the affairs of the company following liquidation, that outstanding funds were due as a result of flights booked by sub agents of the company.

But further enquiries found that Jawwad Ansar had no business records to show:

• the full nature of the company’s trading activities during his appointment, and whether these were connected with bona fide trading purposes
• in the absence of any sales records, verification regarding air flight tickets in the sum of at least £2 million between 15 February and 10 March 2017 who they were booked for or on behalf of and who benefitted from these tickets
• whether book debts for the sum of £2 million declared by Mr Ansar to be owed by him were legitimately owed and if so, whether these funds were recoverable

Furthermore, Jawwad Ansar was unable to supply a list of flights booked, a list of customers, and did not provide any breakdown of the sums owed to the company.

As a result, in May 2018, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Jawwad Ansar after he admitted failing to maintain or preserve, or in the alternative deliver up, adequate accounting records.

Effective from 14 June 2018, Jawwad Ansar is now banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company for 9 years.

Martin Gitner of the Insolvency Service, said:

The company booked large numbers of flights, for which the company owes in excess of £2m, and has no evidence of these being purchased for bona fide business purposes

This ban should serve as a warning to other directors tempted to take an established company, incur large liabilities for goods for which no payment is made and then fail to provide evidence of the legitimacy of the purchases.

Notes to editors

Jawwad Ansar is of Ilford and his date of birth is January 1971.

Cheap Flight House Limited (Company number 07431812) was incorporated on 8 November 2010.

A disqualification undertaking has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube