Former MPS assistant commissioner new director of the SFO
Former Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) assistant commissioner Nick Ephgrave QPM has been appointed as the new director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
He will be the first non-lawyer to lead the SFO after his appointment was confirmed by the Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC MP on Wednesday (July 5).
Mr Ephgrave will take up the position at the end of September for an initial term of five years. He will replace the outgoing director, Lisa Osofsky.
Ms Prentis said: “I am delighted to announce that Nick Ephgrave QPM will become the next director of the SFO.
“Nick’s years of experience as a leader in law enforcement and across the wider criminal justice system make him the ideal candidate to drive the SFO forward in it continuing its fight against economic crime.”
The Attorney General also thanked Ms Osofsky for her years of service to the SFO.
Most recently, Mr Ephgrave was chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council criminal justice coordination committee and held roles on the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee and the Sentencing Council.
Between February 2019 and September 2022, he was assistant commissioner of the MPS and, prior to this, was the chief constable for Surrey Police between December 2015 and February 2019.
Mr Ephgrave said: “I am honoured to be the next director of the SFO. The SFO plays a unique and pivotal role in the UK’s response to economic crime.
“I look forward to building on its recent successes and driving forward work to deliver long-lasting improvements to its operations.”
Commenting on today’s announcement, Lloyd Firth, counsel in WilmerHale’s UK white collar defence and investigations practice, said: “Having been in contention for the role of Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Mr Ephgrave is unlikely to be daunted by the prospect of overhauling the culture and performance of the Serious Fraud Office.
“As a former senior police officer, his experience will necessarily be focused more on the prevention, detection and investigation of crime, rather than the intricacies of prosecuting it, but his appointment appears to acknowledge the key role of the director in framing the direction, strategy and public perception of the SFO.”
The SFO is a non-ministerial department headed by the director and is a specialist investigating and prosecuting authority that tackles the top-level of serious or complex fraud, bribery, and corruption in England and Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The SFO is an operationally independent prosecuting body. It is responsible for making decisions on whether an investigation should be opened and ultimately if a case should be prosecuted.