SFO's ex-chief Alderman criticised over £1m of payments

Laura Miller
clock

The former head of the Serious Fraud Office has been heavily criticised for allegedly sanctioning almost £1m of severance payments to three departing colleagues without getting the necessary approvals.

Richard Alderman is taken to task over the "irregular" payments in a report by Tim Hurdle, a senior civil servant at the Treasury Solicitor's Office, the Telegraph reports. The report was commissioned by Mr Alderman's successor, David Green, who wanted to know why the SFO's former chief executive Philippa Williamson left with a severance package of £464,905, while ex-chief capability officer Chris Bailes received £473,167 and ex-technology head Ian McCall got £49,885. The exit package for Ms Williamson, which the report notes amounted to "some three and a quarter times her salary", wa...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Regulation

Director jailed for near £9m investment fraud

Director jailed for near £9m investment fraud

Declan Nowell sentenced for ‘Ponzi-style’ investment scam

Sophia Panayi
clock 01 June 2026 • 2 min read
Proposed simplified advice rules unlikely to help service new clients, advisers say

Proposed simplified advice rules unlikely to help service new clients, advisers say

Research from AJ Bell

Sophia Panayi
clock 01 June 2026 • 1 min read
Succession Alliance to tackle 'completely unregulated' space this year

Succession Alliance to tackle 'completely unregulated' space this year

Wants to create a ‘minimum set of standards’

Sophia Panayi
clock 27 May 2026 • 4 min read