By PAUL O’DONOGHUE, Senior Correspondent
THE UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) will offer companies a deal to avoid prosecution if they report suspected financial crime in a major policy shift for the watchdog.
Director Nick Ephgrave will announce that firms coming forward can expect to negotiate a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), except in “exceptional” cases. DPAs allow companies to avoid criminal charges by paying financial penalties.