Former Latics owner charged in Torex investigation

CHRIS Moore, the former owner of Oldham Athletic Football Club, has been charged with offences in connection with the collapse of Torex Retail, the software firm that went into administration in June 2007.

Moore held chairman and chief executive roles at the Oxfordshire business which specialised in electronic point-of-sales systems for retail customers and was part of Manchester-based healthcare software firm iSoft before floating in 2004.

He has been charged with conspiracy to defraud and false accounting. The alleged offences took place between May 2006 and January 2007.

Moore took control of Oldham Athletic in 2001 pledging to take the club into the Premiership within five years. But he stepped down as chairman in 2003 and sold his stake in the club to a consortium led by Simon Blitz the following year.

In a statement the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said the matters under investigation related to the historic business of Torex Retail and do not relate to the ongoing business of Torex Retail Holdings Limited and its subsidiary companies.

Another former chairman Robert Loosemoore and former finance director Mark Woodbridge were charged with conspiracy to defraud and false accounting last week. Former legal director Nigel Horn was also charged with fraud.
 
The first hearing is listed for May 13 at Banbury Magistrates Court. The SFO started the investigation in January 2007 which has been conducted in conjunction with the City of London Police.