Three charged in horsemeat investigation
Three men have been charged with fraud offences following a City of London Police investigation into how food products became adulterated with horsemeat.
Alex Ostler-Beech from Hull, Ulrik Nielsen of Gentofte, Denmark and Andrew Sideras of Southgate were all charged with conspiracy to defraud.
The charges follow an international criminal investigation that saw the City of London Police, which is also the National Policing Lead for Fraud, working in partnership with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), as well as law enforcement agencies from across the UK and Europe.
Between 1st January 2012 and 31st October 2012, Ostler-Beech, Nielsen and Sideras were found to be conspiring together, along with others, to defraud purchasers of goods that contained, wholly or in part, a mixture of beef and horsemeat, by dishonestly arranging for beef and horsemeat to be combined for sale as beef.
City of London Police detectives first arrested Beech in Hull and Sideras in London in July 2013. In August, Nielsen was also interviewed under caution in Hull.
The three men are due to appear on bail at City of London Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 27th September.
Kristin Jones, head of specialist fraud for the CPS said: “After carefully considering evidence from the UK and overseas, the CPS has decided that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to charge these three men.
“This decision comes after a thorough investigation conducted by the City of London Police in liaison with partner agencies.”
Judge wanted for British Sausage Week
FSS launches food crime hotline
