Ed Siddons
@edsiddons.bsky.social
Investigative reporter at TBIJ. Stories for: Guardian, 1843, Sunday Times, Observer, BBC Panorama, C4 Dispatches, Times, etc. Read my work: https://edsiddons.me/
NEW: Rifaat Al-Assad was accused of the slaughter of tens of thousands of people, but for decades he lived in impunity in the heart of Europe. How did he get away it? My latest longread for @tbij.bsky.social & @prospectmagazine.co.uk: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Rifaat al-Assad: how Europe sheltered an alleged war criminal
How Rifaat al-Assad stashed his stolen millions – and eluded the lawyers trying to take him down
thebureauinvestigates.com
In a landmark decision handed down yesterday, the High Court threw out an "oppressive" £8m libel claim against Dan Neidle in the first test of the UK's anti-SLAPP protections. While a total victory for Neidle, campaigners warn it's not enough: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Landmark anti-SLAPP victory as £8m libel claim is thrown out of court
Tax avoidance promoter’s case against journalist Dan Neidle is dismissed in the first test of a new law to stop abusive litigation
thebureauinvestigates.com
Fines for UK financial crime nosedive to ‘pitiful’ lows. Penalties from the FCA drop by 78% in five years. Regulator now has a duty to promote growth of the sector. It is a race to the bottom. Financial crime not investigated. Bankers bonuses will increase from illicit financial flows. To
Fines for UK financial crime nosedive to ‘pitiful’ lows
Penalties from the FCA drop by 78% in five years as it prepares to take on a new role as 'super-regulator'
thebureauinvestigates.com
NEW: Fines imposed by the UK's financial regulator have plummeted by 78% in five years. The FCA, a bulwark in the country's fight against financial crime, secured £124m in fines last year, down from £567.8m in 2021. @premnsikka.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Fines for UK financial crime nosedive to ‘pitiful’ lows
Penalties from the FCA drop by 78% in five years as it prepares to take on a new role as 'super-regulator'
thebureauinvestigates.com
NEW: Independent corruption investigations by the police watchdog have fallen by 70% in five years. The IOPC, which handles the most serious police complaints, has seen its budget slashed by a third since 2018, despite unprecedented public outcry. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2026...
Independent police corruption investigations plummet by 70% in five…
Campaigners slam ‘broken’ complaints system as corruption probes by the watchdog hit alarming lows
thebureauinvestigates.com
NEW: In 2022, the BVI was plunged into a political scandal that nearly saw the islands forced into direct rule. I spent many, many months trying to work out why and how this happened. Out today, via the Guardian Long Read & Pulitzer Center: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Inside the British Virgin Islands’ corruption crisis
How an international power battle broke out over a territory where post-imperial tensions run high – and drug money flows right to the top
thebureauinvestigates.com
“This will not be business as usual, but rather business unusual, business unconventional,” said the BVI premier at the start of his tenure. But no one knew quite how unusual it would turn out to be. Today's Guardian long read by @edsiddons.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Walking into disaster: the narcotrafficking scandal that blew up the BVI
The long read: When the new premier of the British Virgin Islands said he needed an armed security detail, his chief of police knew trouble was on its way
theguardian.com
NEW: In 2022, the BVI was plunged into a political scandal that nearly saw the islands forced into direct rule. I spent many, many months trying to work out why and how this happened. Out today, via the Guardian Long Read & Pulitzer Center: www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Inside the British Virgin Islands’ corruption crisis
How an international power battle broke out over a territory where post-imperial tensions run high – and drug money flows right to the top
thebureauinvestigates.com
What gets measured gets done. Why we need to end Whitehall secrecy on offshore secrecy...
Ed Siddons@edsiddons.bsky.social · 9mo agoNEW: HMRC has figures on how much tax it suspects is lost offshore – but it won't disclose them. Story here led by @simonlock.bsky.social featuring @taxwatch.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
NEW: HMRC has figures on how much tax it suspects is lost offshore – but it won't disclose them. Story here led by @simonlock.bsky.social featuring @taxwatch.bsky.social www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
HMRC won't admit how much tax is lost offshore
The taxman has the numbers needed to estimate how much cash is lost to overseas havens – but it isn't sharing the details
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
theguardian.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
Latest investigation from my esteemed colleague @edsiddons.bsky.social - give it a read...
Ed Siddons@edsiddons.bsky.social · last yr.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 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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
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
thebureauinvestigates.com
Discreet Law "took steps to verify the information provided by its client and carried out independent research." The solution here is for libel courts to adopt the same standard of proof as the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Isabel Picornell Garcia@picornell.eurosky.social · 2y ago"The SRA spent two years ‘investigating’ how Prigozhin tried to use British law to silence a journalist. Astonishingly, in a four page assessment now seen by this newsletter, the regulator finally ruled that Discreet Law “acted appropriately” in representing the sanctioned Wagner leader"
New from @conplnk.bsky.social, myself, and @beaudonelly.bsky.social on Bellingcat’s Financial Investigations Team in collaboration with @johnmooneyirl.bsky.social / @thetimes.com
Bellingcat@bellingcat.com · last yr.A German businessman was charged with drug trafficking in Australia after 200kg of cocaine was found in a hotel room last December. Bellingcat and the Sunday Times now investigate the alleged connection between him and the Kinahan cartel. www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/03...
“You guys really need to shut this down LOL.” Stellar story from Bloomberg on America’s "most convenient bank for money launderers." www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
How TD Became America’s Most Convenient Bank for Money Launderers
Rapid expansion made TD Bank a household name but left it vulnerable to crooks—and $3.1 billion in fines.
bloomberg.com
They're called public records for a reason. Starting today, WIRED will *stop paywalling* articles that are primarily based on public records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, becoming the first publication to partner with @freedom.press to offer this for our new coverage.
Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting. Others should follow
As the administration does its best to hide public records from the public, Wired magazine is stepping up to help stem the secrecy
freedom.press
Whip-smart explainer from @simonlock.bsky.social & @tbij.bsky.social on (one part of) Roman Abramovich's tax dodge – leasing his own yachts back to himself. www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Inside Roman Abramovich's superyacht-rental tax scam
The oligarch’s scheme to skirt taxes on his boats was enterprising, elaborate – and illegal. Here’s how it worked
thebureauinvestigates.com
More than 40 MPs and peers have written to HMRC to say that Roman Abramovich's tax affairs must be investigated in the light of an investigation by the Guardian, @tbij.bsky.social and BBC, which found that the former Chelsea FC owner's companies may owe the UK taxman £1bn. [1/3]
Roman Abramovich’s tax affairs must be investigated, MPs say
Cross-party group on tax calls for HMRC to act after Guardian investigation finds former Chelsea owner may owe up to £1bn
theguardian.com
NEW: Abramovich's multi-billion dollar hedge fund operation may have unlawfully dodged hundreds of millions in tax. Extraordinary investigation from @simonlock.bsky.social and @eleanorrose87.bsky.social + BBC, Guardian, OCCRP, Paper Trail, & others. 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
thebureauinvestigates.com
According the SRA, it's actually very normal and fine to sue an investigative journalist on behalf of a sanctioned warlord because the warlord took umbrage with tweets that tied him the mercenary group he founded. Scoop by @petergeoghegan.bsky.social democracyforsale.substack.com/p/uk-law-fir...
UK law firm that acted for Putin’s warlord Prigozhin 'broke no rules'
Exclusive: Taking cash from a sanctioned Russian mercenary chief to enable him to sue a British journalist is not an abuse of our legal system, solicitors' regulator finds
democracyforsale.substack.com
