Mining group Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation has been granted its application to see the retainer between an SFO investigator and his solicitors over a £1.8m bill of costs.

Serious Fraud Office sign

Source: Alamy

Following a half-day hearing, senior costs judge Rowley ordered SFO investigator Antony Puddick disclose his agreement with his solicitors in a £1,836,607.57 costs dispute.

For ENRC, Nicholas Bacon KC told the court there was a ‘genuine issue’ in relation to Puddick’s liability for costs to A.M. Strachan & Co. ENRC’s application sought all relevant documents underpinning the engagement terms including letters, agreements, notes of conversations, and communications, and for Puddick to prove his liability for the costs. ENRC also sought a witness statement from both Puddick and the firm ‘setting out and disclosing all relevant documents on which [Puddick] has elected to re