QEB Hollis Whiteman member Rhys Meggy represented SS, the sales manager of an FCA-regulated payment services provider accused of abusing her access to client onboarding systems to launder part of the the proceeds of £1.5million in cash derived from stolen gold.

The prosecution alleged her knowledge or suspicion of the monies' criminal provenance could be inferred from her breach of company AML procedures, and allegedly incriminating 'chat' logs. Following Rhys' cross-examination of the Head of Compliance and MLRO on several years' audit reports, the company was forced to concede that its AML systems and controls were not as rigorously applied during the Indictment period as the prosecution alleged.

SS was acquitted following a 2-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

Rhys was instructed by Javed Chughtuai of EBR Attridge LLP.