SFO Harlequin probe ‘ongoing' as investors pursue IFAs

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has said it, together with Essex Police, is continuing to investigate complaints into troubled overseas property company Harlequin.

The SFO first began looking into Harlequin - into which investors have poured about £400m - in March, following complaints received from members of the public. It asked investors to complete an online questionnaire detailing when the off-plan properties they had purchased through Harlequin were due to be completed, and, if the target date has elapsed, the reason given. Crucially for advisers, the SFO also wanted to know who had introduced the investors to Harlequin, whether it was a sales agent, financial adviser, or someone else. In the months since the SFO launched its investigat...