The Pensions Regulator has secured a criminal conviction against a former office manager of a company that is at the centre of a £13.75m scam case, for refusing to provide relevant information to the investigation.

Karen Turgut of Bromley, Kent, worked at Friendly Pensions Ltd, which is the subject of an investigation by the regulator. She refused to give information to TPR and failed to supply documents, despite being required to by law. The case is the third criminal conviction secured by TPR.

As a result of the conviction, she was ordered to pay more than £4,000 at Brighton Magistrates’ Court after being convicted of refusing to provide information and documents required under section 72 of the Pensions Act 2004 without a reasonable excuse.

TPR staff wanted Turgut to answer questions and hand over documents about the activities of Friendly Pensions, specifically about emails she had sent and received while working there. She was asked to assist the investigation voluntarily, but when she failed to respond she was served with a notice requiring her to provide information to TPR. The notice – known as a section 72 notice - warned that failing to comply with it would be a criminal offence. Turgut still refused to co-operate, without giving a good reason.

Turgut did not turn up at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for the hearing on Wednesday 5 July. The court tried her in her absence and she was convicted of one offence of refusing to provide information and one offence of refusing to produce documents required under section 72 of the Pensions Act 2004 without a reasonable excuse, contrary to section 77 of the Act.

The magistrates said Turgut had been given plenty of opportunities to speak to TPR staff but had simply chosen to ignore them. They ordered her to pay a £4,000 fine, £550 costs and a £170 victim surcharge. Turgut continues to be in breach of the section 72 notice. TPR can bring further criminal proceedings, with the threat of further fines, until she complies.

Commenting on the outcome, TPR director of case management Mike Birch said: “We will not hesitate to prosecute those who prevent us gathering the data we require for our investigations.

“Karen Turgut’s refusal to co-operate with our team was flagrant, without any excuse, and wasted our time and resources. Information notices are a key enforcement tool for TPR to help us tackle those abusing the system. Refusing to comply with a legal request from The Pensions Regulator will not be tolerated.”

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