Name Helen Mary Garlick
Occupation:
Barrister (Called to Middle Temple 1974)
Specialisation:
Serious and Complex Fraud, Bribery & Corruption, financial market offences, asset forfeiture, tracing and confiscation
Ancillary achievements
Lecturing on commercial fraud, bribery and corruption. A member of the Board of TI UK. A member of the Corruption Hunters Network, supported by the Norwegian Government, an international group of current and former head of anti corruption bodies.
Summary of experience
Helen has spent the majority of her career in the Government Legal Service. She joined the Serious Fraud Office on its inception in 1988, specialising in extradition and mutual legal assistance. Helen worked as an investigating lawyer on some of the SFO's earliest landmark cases including Barlow Clowes and BCCI. She led the SFO's Mutual Legal Assistance Unit, working on investigations such as Abacha (Nigeria), Berlusconi (Italy), Anglo Leasing (Kenya) and Chiluba (Zambia). She also led an Operational Division responsible for the investigation and prosecution of a number of high profile and complex fraud cases. Helen was appointed as the first Head of the SFO's Overseas Corruption Unit and led the BAE investigation from its start in1984, until she left in mid 2008. She also oversaw the investigations into the overseas corruption cases of Balfour Beatty, Innospec, Mabey and Johnson and De Puy. On leaving the SFO Helen was appointed as part of a team of experts, funded jointly by DFID and the Norwegian government to carry out an assessment of anti-corruption capacity and training in Tanzania. She was also contracted to carry out an assignment in Bangladesh, in the lead up to the last general elections, advising the anti-corruption authority on international investigations and the preparation of Letters of Request in some particularly sensitive cases. Helen is currently appointed as Special Prosecutor to the Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands, leading a large team of investigators and lawyers investigating allegations of government corruption, arising from the Report the Commission of Inquiry lead by Sir Robin Auld QC Public Inquiry in 2008. She has recently been appointed to the Board of Transparency International UK. Helen is especially proud of her membership of the Corruption Hunters’ Network, an international group of current and former senior prosecutors and heads of anti corruption bodies, sponsored and funded by the Norwegian Government. Membership is by personal invitation. The group meets twice a year and maintains frequent contact in the intervals between meetings. Its members come from countries as diverse as Southern Sudan, Bangladesh, Argentina, Costa Rica and Madagascar.
Notable Cases
Abacha
The Government of Nigeria instituted wide ranging criminal investigations and asset recovery applications in Switzerland and the UK in pursuit of money stolen from the state during the kleptocracy of the former President General Sani Abacha and his family and associates. The Abacha family brought lengthy judicial review proceedings to challenge the MLA process The process took several years, the JR became a leading case on the principle and practice of MLA and the inter relationship of civil and criminal proceedings and the asset tracing investigation resulted in an examination of the money laundering practices of UK banks that was instrumental in the reforms of the Proceeds of Crime Act and Regulations. Berlusconi
The prosecuting authorities in Milan have pursued investigations into tax fraud and corruption by Silvio Berlusconi for several years. Important aspects of the case have involved investigations in London and the Isle of Man. Helen worked closely with the prosecutors, advising them on the most effective use of the compulsory powers under s 2 of the Criminal Justice Act, obtaining documents and carrying out interviews on their behalf. BAE
The investigation into corruption by BAE Systems in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere was conducted by a team of lawyers and investigators who reported to her between 2004 and 2008. She oversaw and gave evidence in the Judicial Review into the decision by the Director to discontinue the Saudi investigation. She also oversaw the investigations in South Africa and Tanzania and working with the NPA and the PCCB in those jurisdictions. She also worked together with Eurojust in the Hague to secure maximum co operation from European law enforcement, including Switzerland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Austria and Sweden
Contact details
Fulcrum Chambers LLP
11 Old Square, Lincoln’s Inn, London WC2A 3TS T: +44 (0)20 7186 0420 D: +44 (0)20 7186 0427
E: helengarlick@fulcrumchambers.com | 
