Charles Russell Speechlys Win - UK Court Acquittal for John Mason in High-Profile Bribery Case
Charles Russell Speechlys, together with Counsel, Graham Brodie KC and Faisal Osman, are incredibly proud to have represented Mr John Mason, who was rightly acquitted by the jury at Southwark Crown Court of paying multi-million pound bribes to Saudi officials in a prosecution which we have always maintained should never have been bought.
The contracts at the heart of the SFO's prosecution (and significantly the terms requiring the payments to be made to high-ranking Saudi officials) were agreed between the British and Saudi governments in the 1970s with these terms being undoubtedly required to continue until the termination of the contracts in the 2010s. The prosecution of two individuals caught in the crosshairs of this arrangement was unjust and improper, and we are delighted that the jury has agreed with us today and vindicated Mr Mason.
The Charles Russell Speechlys legal team was led by Partner, Caroline Greenwell, with support from fellow Partner, Stewart Hey and Senior Associate, Abigail Rushton.
Caroline Greenwell, Partner, comments:
This is a truly wonderful day for Mr Mason and his family. The case has cast a shadow over Mr Mason and his family's life for nearly ten years, since he was arrested in July 2014. Justice has now been done and Mr Mason's innocence has been rightly proven.
Stewart Hey, Partner and Head of the Charles Russell Speechlys’ Litigation and Dispute Resolution team, comments:
It is approaching ten years since we received the call notifying us of Mr Mason’s arrest, since then, the team has worked tirelessly to ensure justice was achieved. We thank the jury for their perseverance over the last four months and arriving at their verdict to acquit Mr Mason. On any analysis, this is the correct decision. Justice has been served; however, this prosecution should never have been brought.
