UK Treasury writes off more than £4BN cash stolen by Covid fraudsters; Opposition MP brands the move ‘outrageous’

Regulatory Watch News

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  Former civil servant found guilty of fraud for holding multiple jobs at the same time

  The Crown Prosecution Service

  November 9, 2026

  A former civil servant has been convicted of fraud for obtaining and holding multiple full-time Government jobs at the same time.

  Kashim Chowdhury, 56, lied about his existing employment status and history on applications and was paid for multiple jobs in the civil service and associated public bodies over three years.

  Between 2020 and 2023, Chowdhury repeatedly applied for positions within government departments and public bodies while concealing that he already had existing full-time employment.

  The job applications he made included declarations that he had provided complete and true information, and he understood that knowingly making a false statement for this purpose was a criminal offence.

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  GRECO conducts Sixth-Round evaluation visit to North Macedonia

  GRECO

  November 9, 2026

  A delegation comprising four GRECO evaluators from Czechia, Hungary, Ireland and Montenegro, a scientific expert and two members of the Secretariat visited North Macedonia from 2 to 6 November 2026 to carry out the country’s on-site evaluation under GRECO’s Sixth Round. The Round focuses on preventing corruption and promoting integrity at the sub-national level. The City of Skopje and the Municipality of Kumanovo volunteered to participate in this evaluation. During the visit, the delegation met with representatives of central institutions, national oversight bodies, municipal councils, mayors, and municipal administrations. It also held discussions with the Association of the Units of Local Self-Government, civil society representatives, the media and academics.

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  Combating End-to-End Illicit Financial Flows Linked to Scam Compounds: Applying the FATF Toolkit to the Fraud Epidemic

  FATF

  November 6, 2026

  Scam compounds are networked, industrialised and transnational criminal infrastructures that may operate through large physical compounds, smaller or decentralised cells, and specialised service providers connected through common controllers, financial infrastructure and operational dependencies. The FATF’s report, Combating End-to-End Illicit Financial Flows Linked to Scam Compounds has examined scam compounds through a financial flows lens, tracing how criminal proceeds are generated, moved, laundered and reinvested.