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Serious Fraud Office investigates £112m Unite Union Hotel
The BBC has revealed that the Serious Fraud Office is looking into the building of a hotel and conference center owned by a major UK trade union.
Unite the Union used £112m of its members’ funds on the Birmingham project.
The current value of the building is only £29m, indicating that £83m has been squandered.
An investigation overseen by KC and requested by Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham found a £14m discrepancy that is unexplained and not accounted for in the project’s financial records.
Unite has told the BBC the case is “now with the Serious Fraud Office” and Ms Graham, who took over as Unite general secretary in 2021, would “leave no stone unturned in finding out if there was any financial wrongdoing”.
SFO Stated
An SFO spokesperson stated: “In line with long established practice to avoid prejudice to law enforcement activity, we can neither confirm nor deny any investigation into this matter.”
The Birmingham project was meant to serve as an investment for Unite while also cutting down on the union’s expenses for hotel and conference fees.
In 2020, the construction was finished, featuring a 195-room four-star hotel, a conference center that can accommodate 1,000 people, and the regional offices of Unite.
Documents from the employment tribunal show that the union thinks the ruling executive council was given incorrect information about the project’s actual value.
In 2022, South Wales Police conducted a search at the union’s London headquarters as part of a distinct investigation into bribery, money-laundering, and fraud.
The BBC has been informed by the force that the investigation is still in progress.
Spokesperson Remarks
A spokesperson from Unite emphasized that it is crucial to recognize that Sharon Graham has faced numerous assaults from individuals with a lot at stake ever since she started these investigations, coming from both within and outside the union.
“These have been sickening and horrendous but she has remained determined to get to the truth.
“We are also pursuing legal claims to recover money lost to the union and the general secretary has put safeguards in place to ensure that such things can never happen again.”
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