The unit sees itself as working on cases where the police and other enforcement bodies have decided to take action. But businesses and other organisations might still see a case as worthwhile as a way of recovering assets, seeking damages or setting an example. John Smart, head of the EY fraud investigations and disputes team, told the FT, that there was an appetite for such cases – 'which are seen as a cleaner and quicker route to getting money back, as you can always file a civil claim after bringing a criminal case.'

Customer information

Kate McMahon of Edmonds Marshall McMahon, a London-based private prosecutions law firm, gave an example of the kind of situation in which a business might decide to prosecute such as where an individual had walked off with customer information or a breach of a firm’s computer systems. Source: Financial Times