20 Mar 2025
UK, France and Switzerland announce new alliance to tackle bribery and corruption threat
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office, France’s Parquet National Financier (PNF) and the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) today affirmed their shared commitment to tackling international bribery and corruption at an event in London.
The agencies also founded a new taskforce to strengthen collaboration.
All three countries have wide-reaching anti-bribery legislation with jurisdiction to prosecute criminal conduct that occurs overseas, if there is a link to the prosecuting country.
The taskforce will strengthen existing ties between these countries and lead to greater joint working on cases, as well as sharing of insight and expertise.
The statement can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-anti-corruption-prosecutorial-taskforce
Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, said: “The commitment we have made today reaffirms our individual and collective commitment to tackling the pernicious threat of international bribery and corruption, wherever it occurs.
“We will make use of every power and partnership available to confront this criminality. This taskforce is an important step forward in our approach.”
Jean-François Bohnert, Head of the Parquet National Financier, said: “I am delighted that ten years of operational cooperation between the PNF, SFO and OAG are developing today into the setting up of a prosecutorial taskforce.
“This taskforce will definitely strengthen our current cooperation in order to fight more efficiently against bribery and corruption in individual cases.”
Stefan Blättler, Attorney General of the Swiss Confederation, said: “Within the framework of this cooperation, we will be able to help ensure that fraud and crime can be better combated in the future.
“This task force is of great importance for Switzerland.”
Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: “I welcome the SFO’s commitment to working even more closely with their French and Swiss partners, including setting up this new taskforce to tackle international bribery and corruption.
"Through strong international partnerships, we will be able to robustly tackle cross-border economic crime and protect our future prosperity."
Contact Information
Darcey Lindsay-Smith
Communication Officer (News)
Serious Fraud Office
darcey.lindsay-smith@sfo.gov.uk
Notes to editors
- The SFO has continued to strengthen relations with key partners France and Switzerland since Director Nick Ephgrave joined the SFO in 2023. This includes visits and hosting of both countries, as part of DSFO’s commitment to becoming “the collaboration partner of choice, both in this country and abroad”.
- France, UK and the US secured the world’s biggest global resolution ($3.9bn) against Airbus in 2020.
- The SFO has worked with Switzerland across 20 cases in the last five years, including the successful conviction of GPT Special Project Management Ltd in 2021 and the commodities firm Glencore in 2022.
- The UK, Switzerland and France are all members of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, which commits to tackling international criminality: Convention and commentaries booklet 2024.pdf
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