The United Kingdom recognises Kenya’s human rights progress, particularly in education.

We commend Kenya’s development of a more supportive environment for police reforms, reinforced by President Kenyatta’s strategy for a unified National Police Service. But, we remain concerned by limited progress made to strengthen mechanisms to hold individual officers accountable for abuse of power.

We recommend that Kenya:

1. Empower and resource the Independent Police Oversight Authority, Internal Affairs Unit, and Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate fully and prosecute cases of police abuse;

2. Intensify efforts to secure redress for survivors of sexual violence following the 2007 and 2017 Presidential elections, and establish mechanisms to ensure such crimes are never repeated;

3. Ratify and implement the Protocol of 2014 to the ILO Forced Labour Convention 1930, (P029).

Published 23 January 2020

The UK welcomes Lesotho’s ongoing National Reform process and encourages rapid implementation of the reform recommendations, which could significantly improve many areas of human rights. We welcome recent collaboration between the Government and civil society organisations on the reforms and the process to establish a Human Rights Commission.

However, we remain seriously concerned that torture and police brutality continue to be reported, yet perpetrators are rarely prosecuted. We urge the Government to address the lengthy delays in the judicial system and politicisation of judicial appointments. We also note with concern repeated allegations of corruption that undermine the basic tenets of a just and democratic society.

We recommend that Lesotho:

1. Fully Implement the Human Trafficking Act 2011, including taking measures to ensure the investigation, prosecution and conviction of human traffickers in fair trials, including officials complicit in trafficking crimes.
2. Adopt an open, merit-based process when selecting national candidates for UN treaty body elections.
3. Take urgent action to promote open and transparent Government, ensuring access to information by promulgating a freedom of information law and honouring information requests.

Published 23 January 2020

Protecting the interests of consumers, improving trust in online markets and helping the transition to a low carbon economy, while preparing for new responsibilities from January 2021 and making the case for reform, are central to the CMA’s work in 2020/21.

In 2020/21 the CMA proposes to:

• maintain the focus on consumers who are in vulnerable circumstances, taking enforcement action where necessary and undertaking behavioural insights work to gain a better understanding of consumer vulnerability
• improve trust in markets, through ongoing work on fake reviews, subscription traps and anti-competitive practices and excessive pricing in pharmaceutical markets, and through our advocacy and campaigns work
• tackle concerns in digital markets, including delivering on our Digital Markets Strategy, finishing our market study on online platforms and digital advertising
• enhance productivity and economic growth not only through full use of our toolkit but also by stepping up our advice to government on designing and implementing policy that harnesses competition and protects the interests of consumers
• support the transition to a low carbon economy, by developing our understanding of how climate change affects markets and how businesses can evolve and innovate without risk of breaching competition law
• continue to prepare to take on new responsibilities as a result of the UK leaving the EU, so that we are ready to take on our expanded domestic role and can secure a greater global footprint from January 2021

The CMA enters 2020/21 with a substantial volume of ongoing work and at the time of publication has 18 competition enforcement cases as well as four ongoing appeals, seven consumer enforcement cases, 22 merger investigations, one market investigation and one market study under way.

For more information, read our draft 2020/21 Annual Plan.

Published 23 January 2020

Richard Mallett (49), from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, signed a disqualification undertaking in which he did not dispute that he had allowed Malletts Solicitors Limited to use misleading marketing and financial material to attract investment to develop a business product that was never made.

His business partner, Sharon Mallett, signed a similar disqualification undertaking previously, and from 2 February 2020, Richard will be banned for 13 years from being involved, directly or indirectly, in the formation, promotion or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

Richard and Sharon Mallett were the registered directors of a solicitor’s firm called Malletts Solicitors Limited based in King’s Lynn.

Between December 2013 and August 2015, the duo secured just over £1.38 million from people who thought they were being offered an opportunity to invest in a new 24/7 business hub. The new product was going to provide legal insurance to members to cover legal costs of matters which couldn’t be resolved.

Sharon and Richard Mallett, however, developed nothing and instead used these funds to pay historic tax debts to stop the tax authorities from winding-up the company, reduce Malletts Solicitors’ overdraft, while also paying the staff’s wages on several occasions – against professional advice.

Malletts Solicitors entered into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation in November 2016 after which the Insolvency Service investigated Sharon and Richard’s conduct as directors of that company.

In addition to discovering that Sharon and Richard Mallett spent the money on the running of the business, investigators found the pair had misled investors when they issued loan notes that promised unrealistic returns on investments.

Initially, Sharon and Richard Mallett offered a return of 8% and when investment slowed down, Sharon and Richard increased it to 20%, which generated additional investments.

Further enquiries also found that the pair couldn’t provide any evidence to support their assertions that a national bank had signed-up to partner in the scheme or that additional solicitors had been appointed.

Mark Bruce, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

It is important that investors are provided with the right details before they spend any money. Sharon and Richard, however, disregarded this when they used misleading information to solicit close to £1.4 million before spending it on the company’s debts rather than develop the product they had promised.

13-year bans each for Sharon and Richard are substantial disqualifications, near the maximum allowable under the legislation, and should serve as a stark warning to other directors that they shouldn’t attempt to hoodwink their investors.

Richard Mallett is from King’s Lynn and his date of birth is September 1970

Sharon Rosemary Mallett is from Spalding and her date of birth is February 1969

Richard and Sharon’s bans are available on the Insolvency Service’s public-facing register.

Mallets Solicitors Limited (Company Number: 07121475)

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of restrictions.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

Under Section 3 (1) (d) of the Trunk Road Charging Schemes (Bridges and Tunnels) (Keeping of Accounts) (England) Regulations 2003, annual accounts for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing charging scheme and the Severn River Crossing charging scheme are published today.

In addition, annual accounts for the now-abolished Severn River Crossing toll are released today under Section 28 of the Severn Bridges Act 1992. Since there are no longer tolls or charges on the Severn River Crossings these accounts will not be produced in the future.

The accounts relate to financial year 2018 to 2019 or 2018 and will be placed in the House Library.

Published 23 January 2020