Business correspondent(wp/es):
Housebuilder Berkeley has denied claims of bribery from a sacked former finance director, which emerged in court documents on Thursday.
The documents relate to a High Court battle between Nic Simpkin, who was fired in 2014, and the major London builder, led by industry veteran Tony Pidgley.
The High Court papers revealed by the Guardian and Finance Uncovered relate to two cases brought against the firm by Simpkin, who had options over 3.5 million shares worth tens of millions of pounds when he was ousted.
In the documents related to the second case in 2015, Simpkin accused the Berkeley chairman of being “consistently engaged in bribing one of the partners in a major estate agency” which the firm dealt with over land acquisitions, including “expensive gifts” and “loans”.
Simpkin withdrew both cases but the High Court papers lodged by Berkeley in its defence show the company denying claims that Pidgley had benefited from “around” £660,000 of money to fit out one of his flats, as well as “inappropriate” payments to his son.
Berkeley settled with Simpkin for £9.5 million, including £4.55 million in legal fees, 18 months ago. In court documents Berkeley claimed Simpkin had lost the confidence of senior colleagues.
A group spokesman said: “There was a thorough and extensive investigation by a QC and a senior lawyer from a major law firm which concluded that these allegations were unfounded, following which Mr Simpkin withdrew his allegations and settled all his claims.”
Simpkin said Berkeley’s counter-claims were “unfounded”.
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