Three men have been charged with fraud over the selling of horsemeat in 2012, shortly before it was revealed that UK supermarkets were stocking beef products with traces of horse DNA.
Alex Ostler-Beech, 43, from Hull, Ulrik Nielsen, 57, from Gentofte, Denmark, and Andrew Sideras, 54, from Southgate, London, have all been charged with fraud offences.
All three men will appear at the City of London magistrates court on 27 September.
Kristin Jones, head of specialist fraud for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “The CPS has today authorised charges against three men, relating to the sale of mixed beef and horsemeat products that were sold as beef.
“After carefully considering evidence from the UK and overseas, the CPS has decided that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to charge these three men.
“This decision comes after a thorough investigation conducted by the City of London police in liaison with partner agencies.
“May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Nielsen, Ostler-Beech and Sideras will now be commenced and of their right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
The details of the charge are that between 1 January 2012 and 31 October 2012, Ostler-Beech, Nielsen and Sideras conspired together, and with others, to defraud purchasers of goods that contained, wholly or in part, a mixture of beef and horsemeat, by dishonestly arranging for beef and horsemeat to be combined for sale as beef.
The charges follow an international criminal investigation that saw the City of London police, which is the National Policing Lead for Fraud, work with law enforcement agencies from across the UK and Europe.
