Wanted in the United Kingdom for a vast fraud, two Britons tried in France

Two Britons suspected of a vast financial fraud involving more than 290 million euros in the United Kingdom are to be tried Wednesday before the criminal court of Montluçon (Allier) for money laundering and criminal association. Wanted in his country, Robert Hopkinson had found refuge in the Bourbon countryside, where he was arrested in 2022 by French gendarmes.

His alleged accomplice Richard Yeowart will be tried in absentia. A shopkeeper in Cérilly had raised the alarm after discovering in a package two fake driving licenses. The investigation conducted by the gendarmerie led to the seizure of gold coins, silver, cars and two houses including the one where the two men were domiciled, for a total amount of 1.4 million euros, according to a source close to the case. The gendarmes had also found false driving licenses, false identity cards and license plates as well as wigs and hairpieces.

Placed in provisional detention since his arrest, Robert Hopkinson will appear Wednesday from 09:00 in Montluçon for aggravated money laundering, criminal association, possession of false documents, use of forgery, taking the name of a third party and use of false license plates. His alleged accomplice, who is on the run, will be tried in absentia. Both men face ten years in prison.

Embezzlement

The two Britons are suspected of embezzlement at the head of Arena Television, a British company broadcasting sporting events such as Euro 2020 or cultural. They had left the UK in November 2021.

Appointed after their departure from Arena Television, an administrator had noted the embezzlement of 250 to 300 million pounds (290 to 350 million euros), told AFP a source close to the file, confirming information from the British press. The two men would have benefited from loans for retransmission equipment never found, according to British media which evoke one of the biggest scams in the asset lending sector.

The case is the subject of a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which said on its website that it had made two arrests in February 2022 in connection with this scam. Contacted by AFP, David Père, lawyer of Arena Television, civil party to the trial of Montluçon, did not wish to comment.