Friday High Five – what’s been in the news this week

Over the last year I’ve read a stack of books by incredibly brave journalists and researchers who tell truly shocking stories about the dark forces shaping the world.

It is only the actions of the likes of Jen McAdam, Duncan Mavin, Tom Burgis and Patrick Alley of Global Witness that gives me any kind of encouragement that the good guys can win.

Amongst their ranks I would also include Dan Neidle of Tax Policy Associates. So it was good to co-operate with him this week on the local angle to his latest work on how Companies House still allows fake and fantastical filings to go unchecked.

We picked up on the slew of supposed billion plus businesses registered at a terraced house in Bolton.

I think we have established beyond all reasonable doubt that the many iterations of Stallion Finance of Chorley Old Road in Bolton, in a house that’s being converted into bedsits, isn’t really a global finance company.

Here’s the question – fraud, or fantasy? I’ve come across plenty of chancers and scammers in my time, but the hope is that law enforcement and regulation eventually catches up with them. However, in this game of cat and mouse nobody seems to be on their case.

There’s more to come on this, as we keep discovering. If you have any information on anything similar let me know.

When I see the lengths to which good decent businesses go to in order to comply, then see Companies House, HMRC, the Insolvency Service, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Serious Fraud Office seemingly sat on their hands, as this kind of thing goes on, then I feel it’s a moral duty to use the platform I’ve been granted to stand up and say something.