City lawyer Neil Gerrard de Dechert denies allegation he was “in rape mode”

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A prominent city lawyer who allegedly told colleagues he was going to fuck his client for millions of pounds in fees flatly denied the request, telling the High Court it was utterly ridiculous.

Kazakh mining giant Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) is suing former lawyer Neil Gerrard for allegedly leaking confidential information about the company while it was under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Gerrard and his former law firm Dechert worked for ENRC between 2011 and 2013, investigating allegations of an anonymous whistleblower of bribery and corruption at one of its subsidiaries in Kazakhstan.

Decherts’ investigation then extended to other allegations, including allegations that the ENRC affiliate paid for the college education of a Kazakh police chief’s son and violated sanctions by trading with Iran.

OFS investigation

In April 2013, just weeks after Dechert’s sacking as a lawyer for the company, the SFO opened a formal criminal investigation into ENRC, which is ongoing and has not resulted in any criminal charges.

ENRC claims Dechert provided negligent advice while the Machiavellian Gerrard used the company like a cash cow, leaking information to the press and the SFO to extend the investigation in order to earn more money.

Gerrard, a former police officer turned white-collar criminal lawyer, allegedly leaked confidential documents to a national newspaper, prompting a damaging story that sparked an official letter to ENRC from the SFO.

The former FTSE 100 company also claims that the SFO encouraged Gerrard to release confidential information about ENRC, which is suing the watchdog for around $ 70 million in damages.

Lawyers representing Gerrard and Dechert have previously told the High Court that ENRC’s claims are elaborate work of fiction and that the meanness of the attack on Gerrard smacks of vendetta.

The SFO, which says it continues to conduct a criminal investigation into ENRC into allegations of fraud, bribery and corruption around the acquisition of substantial mining assets, maintains that the claim against it is without hope.

High Court trial

The multi-million pound High Court lawsuit heard allegations that Gerrard leaked confidential ENRC documents to The Times, then celebrated with steak and champagne dinner.

Security consultant Cameron Findlay testified that Gerrard then met him with a colleague at a restaurant in West London, rubbed his hands and said he was in rape mode.

Findlay also claims that Gerrard said he was going to fuck these f ****** for 25m after the story was published.

But, testifying on Wednesday, Gerrard said the request was utterly ridiculous, telling the court: I never told anyone that I was in rape mode or that I was going to fuck anyone. I never said this to anyone at any time.

Clare Montgomery QC, ENRC representative, suggested to Gerrard that he said he was in rape mode and was going to make a lot of money.

Gerrard, who retired from Dechert at the end of last year, said: Absolutely not.

He added: There’s definitely no way I’m talking to a stranger and saying I’m in rape mode.

When asked if he said he would fuck these f ******, Gerrard replied: Absolutely no way. This does not happen.

Lawyers for Dechert and Gerrards previously told the court that ENRC’s two witnesses to the alleged comments, Findlay and computer forensics expert Robert Trevelyan, were completely misleading.

Gerrard will continue his testimony on Thursday and is expected to return to the witness stand for two more days starting next Monday.

The trial, which takes place at the Rolls Building in London and is televised live in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, is expected to end in September.

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