Overview
- At Southwark Crown Court, SFO lawyers offered no evidence against former executives Graeme Hossie, Rachel Rhodes and consultant Ariel Armon, and the judge directed not‑guilty verdicts.
- The SFO said there was no realistic prospect of conviction after significant trial delays, difficulties obtaining and reviewing material, and challenges with witness evidence.
- Officials disclosed issues in the agency’s legacy Autonomy e‑discovery system involving how some digital container files were expanded, meaning some items may not have been available for review.
- Around 20 cases are being checked for potential disclosure impact, with one already reviewed and showing no evidence that relevant material was missed; the current e‑discovery system is unaffected.
- Defence statements described heavy personal and financial tolls from the decade‑long process, and the development follows the recent announcement that director Nick Ephgrave will step down.