Two top international lawyers have been charged over a five-year corruption plot from when they worked at London’s Commonwealth headquarters.
Joshua Brien and his wife Melissa Khemani, both from Notting Hill, west London, worked at the secretariat at Marlborough House in Westminster.
Brien yesterday appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court accused of a string of charges between December 2014 and October 2019.
The 47-year-old faces three counts of fraud by abuse of position, two counts of fraud by false representation, and possession of an article for use in the course of or in connection with fraud.
The expert in sea law also faces four charges linked to alleged money laundering – one claiming he concealed, disguised, converted, transferred or removed criminal property; and three that he acquired, used or had possession of criminal property.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between December 23, 2014, and October 29, 2019, when he was employed as a legal adviser or special counsel.
Khemani, 40, an anti-corruption expert, was charged via postal requisition with two counts of acquiring, using or possessing £62,000 of criminal property.
Joshua Brien (left) and his wife Melissa Khemani (right), both from Notting Hill, west London, worked at the secretariat at Marlborough House in Westminster
Brien faces accusations he took £151,125 from the secretariat in London, where he worked as the head of the oceans and natural resources division from 2010 to 2016.
He had been a legal adviser to the Australian attorney general before joining the secretariat.
The lawyer later worked as a special counsel for US law firm Cooley in its London office.
The two counts of fraud by false representation against him refer to an incident where he claimed he had not been booted out from a previous job for gross misconduct during an interview for another role in July 2017.
Brien also faces charges over frauds of £493,000 between October 2018 and October last year as well as allegedly making fake bank statements that said he had £641,139 in his account when he only had £893.45.
Khemani had been a lawyer in the criminal law section of the secretariat, which saw her help the 54 member countries carry out the UN convention against corruption.
After leaving the post, Canadian-born Khemani worked as an anti-corruption legal expert for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris.
She is currently with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, helping to bring in anti-corruption reforms.
Brien (left) yesterday appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court accused of a string of charges between December 2014 and October 2019. Khemani (right), 40, an anti-corruption expert, was charged via postal requisition with two counts of acquiring, using or possessing £62,000 of criminal property
Commonwealth secretary-general Baroness Scotland ordered a probe into the corruption claims against Brien in April 2016.
It will further damage the secretariat after a number of claims of negligence saw the UK, Australia and New Zealand postpone funding.
The PM was among those who tried to topple Baroness Scotland when her term was up in June, but her contract was extended and she is likely to stay until next summer.
The Commonwealth Secretariat is ‘the intergovernmental organisation that supports member countries to achieve the Commonwealth’s aims of development, democracy and peace’, according to its website.
A Commonwealth spokesman refused to comment on the court case.
He said: ‘The Commonwealth Secretariat has a very robust set of policies and procedures to guard against fraudulent behaviour and activity within the organisation.
‘And any suspicious activity has, and always will be, reported to the relevant authorities without delay and dealt with robustly.’
Brien was released on bail to appear at Southwark Crown Court on September 1. Khemani is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on October 22.