Keith Hunter

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Keith Lindsay Hunter (born February 1959) is a former Metropolitan Police detective, turned private investigator / security consultant. He founded and headed the ISC Global and RISC groups of companies set up to service the needs of high net worth individuals and other wealthy clients, particularly a network of oligarchs associated with the privatised Russian oil company Yukos. Through his business activities Hunter has been linked to various scandals relating to police corruption, he was arrested several times - with charges dropped eventually. As of 2015 he is a partner the investigation firm Animus Associates.

N.B. He should not be confused with another Metropolitan police officer of the same name, who was a Commander from 1981 to 1987, (including of Hackney and Stoke Newington - G Division - 1983-1985).[1][2]

Police career

Hunter served with the police for 19 years, from August 1977 to February 1997, reaching the rank of Detective Sergeant. His final posting was with one of the Regional Crime Squads, where he was tasked with dealing with offences such as drug trafficking, kidnap and serious robbery.[3] His time in the police had given him experience with the use of confidential informants and sources.[4] According to the RISC website, Hunter had worked on 'high profile investigations of national and international organised crime' at Scotland Yard before joining the private investigation industry in 1997.[5]

Private career

On leaving the police Hunter started a series of business ventures as an intelligence consultant. What little is known of his role in this shadowy world depends on the few cases that reach mainstream media - through police investigations or judge-led inquiries.

Mayfayre Associates

On leaving the police, Hunter's first business venture was an intelligence company, Mayfayre Associates set up with an ex-colleague Alec Leighton.

Working for this company was another former Metropolitan detective, John Davidson. Davidson, a police colleague of Leighton, had been part of the first team investigating the murder of Stephen Lawrence, where it is widely reported he was in a corrupt relationship with Clifford Norris, the father of one the killers.[6]

While working for Mayfayre, Davidson had an officer conducting checks on the Police National Computer checks for him - a criminal offence in itself.[7] It is also of note that during this period Leighton had strong links to Southern Investigation, run by Jonathan Rees and others, which figures prominently in accounts of police corruption, the Daniel Morgan murder and the phone-hacking scandal - for details see under Alec Leighton.

ISC Global and RISC Management

In 2000, Hunter became part of a new business venture, brought together by lawyer Stephen Curtis who managed the interests of several Russian oligarchs connected to Yukos. Curtis teamed Hunter with another ex-Metropolitan Police detective, Nigel Brown to start security and risk management company ISC Global, in the main to look after the interests of the Russian oligarchs. Following the 2004 death of Curtis in a helicopter crash, Brown and Hunter fell out and divided the business between them with Brown taking the Israeli side. Hunter, in control of the UK end, renamed it RISC Management and continued to develop its growth among very wealthy international business people and politicians. See under RISC Management for details. However, over the years RISC Management has been caught up in a number of corruption scandals and notably the Litvinenko affair.

The Gary Flood affair

In 2006, as CEO of RISC Management, Keith Hunter was implicated in a corruption case involving the Metropolitan Police, known as the "Gary Flood affair".[8] The Met's anti-corruption squad investigated a case of cash in exchange for confidential information and focused on DS Gary Flood, an officer with the Extradition Unit and a friend of Hunter of 25 years standing. No evidence was found, and no charges filed.[9]

James Ibori scandal

In 2013, Hunter was arrested on suspicion of involvement in seeking to corrupt a police officer in yet another case. From 2006 to 2008, RISC had been employed by Nigerian politician James Ibori to help fight his case brought by the anti-corruption squad at the Metropolitan Police. Following Ibori's conviction, the MPS turned their attention to investigate RISC. However, The charges against Hunter were dropped in 2014, though RISC Managing Director Clifford Knuckey was re-arrested for sending fraudulent invoices to Ibori's lawyers - albeit those charges in turn were abandoned.[10][11]

Business activities

Hunter has set up various ventures 'specialising in corporate investigation's for law firms, media and medium to large size companies',[12] acting as a director discussed above, and listed here. In addition to that he had directorships in various networks of companies summarised below. For a more detailed overview see: RISC-ISC Global company network.

  • 2014 - current Animus Associates. A 'global Risk Management and Security Consultancy' set up early 2013 by Paul Duffen and Simon Hume-Kendall.[15] Animus was hired in Spring 2015 by celebrity publicist Max Clifford, imprisoned for indecent assaults against teenage girls, to investigate the lives of victims seeking damages through civil cases for sexual offences.[16] In the period between RISC Management closing and Animus starting up, Hunter and fellow directors Paul Duffen and Simon Hume-Kendall established Maddox Advisors (UK) at the same offices as Animus.

List of further directorships

  • 1998 - 2002 Senate Support Services Ltd. Hunter founding director (with Jane Hunter as the company secretary) until he passed control to others.[17]
  • 1999 - 2007 Senate Food Services Ltd.[18]
  • 2005 Verify Ltd. 8 to 16 December 2005,[19] It is thought Hunter also controlled Pablo Holdings Ltd, a company that for for two years held a directorship in Verify as well as 51% of Verify's stock. The correspondence address for Pablo Holding Ltd (company number 04493496) is given as the 788-790 Finchley Road address that much of the RISC network of companies were also formally registered to. The authorising of Pablo Holdings to be a director of Verify Ltd is signed by Martin Paul Worsley, a director of Temple Secretaries Ltd / Company Directors Ltd. These two companies are part of A1 Company Services, the business that ran the 788-790 address[20] and which are given as the sole directors for Pablo Holdings throughout it's existence (24 July 2002 - 3 October 2006). In that time it appears to have conducted no financial business transactions despite its 51% holding in Verify.[21] In another filing, for Verify Ltd, the consent form where Hunter is appointed director of that company is signed by Worsley rather than one of the other directors of Verify at the time.[22] Combined, this strongly suggests it was a front company at the very least - very likely for a business interest of Hunter given the cross-over with Hunter in time and the common addresses used.
  • 2012 The Business Phone Ltd: director from 17 April to 25 May 2012, along with founding director Nicholas Paul "Nick" Rattray.[23] [24][25]
  • 2013 - 2014 Asset Hunter Ltd.[26] An enterprise registered to the Conduit Street address for RISC Management. Nick Rattray is co-director (see above under The Business Phone Ltd). In 2012 the latter owned a company with the similar name, Asset Hunter (UK) Ltd (company number 08015819; formed 2012 and dissolved 2015).[27] Asset Hunter (UK) was formed company registered through the agency of Bristol based Peter Valiatis, who also makes a brief appearance in the network of companies around Verify (see above).[28]
  • 2015 Cobham Construction Ltd. A directorship that lasted from 1 July - 31 August 2015.[29]

Belfast based company directorships

In 2011, Hunter acquired several directorships in a network of Belfast based companies. The venture ended in 2013, with his replacement by fund manager and insolvency specialist David Hudson as a director of all three companies on the same day.[30]).

  • 2011 - 2013 Dundrennan Ltd. The company is 100% owned by Vivery Ltd.[31][32]
  • 2011 - 2013 Tullyfell Ltd. The company is 100% owned by Sonew Ltd.[33]
  • 2012 - 2013 El Divino Belfast Ltd. Director of a nightclub in Belfast, owned in part by Tullyfell Ltd (33%) & Dundrennan Ltd (44%).[34][35]

Contact details

  • Email address at RISC was KHunter@managingrisc.com[36]
  • Listed as a member of the Association of British Investigators with the email address khunter@animusassociates.com.[37]

Associated companies

Associated people

Notes

  1. ↑ Keith Hunter, Letters to the Editor: Everything else has failed so let's legalise drugs, The Times, 3 August 2009.
  2. ↑ Keith Hunter, Letters to the Editor: Local policing, The Times,28 October 2011.
  3. ↑ Transcript of Evidence given on 16 February 2015, The Litvinenko Inquiry, undated (accessed 1 August 2015).
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Keith Lindsay Hunter, Witness Statement, The Litvinenko Inquiry, 5 December 2012 (accessed 1 August 2015). Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "hunter.1" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tom Harper, Former Met detective alleged to have billed lawyers for invoices worth 'thousands of pounds' in Nigerian politician case, The Independent, 9 January 2015. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "harper.1" defined multiple times with different content
  6. ↑ Tom Harper, Stephen Lawrence exclusive: Links between 'corrupt' officer on investigation and racist murder gang were suppressed to protect Met chief, The Independent, 10 March 2014.
  7. ↑ An appendix to the Ellison Report confirms that Davidson was working for Mayfayre at the time. Buried in the Appendix II, Ellison mentions the discovery of an undated intelligence report about an officer "who was under investigation for conducting Police National Computer checks for John Davidson, believed to be working for Mayfare [sic] Associates at the time". Mark Ellison, Appendix ii: Additional material relating to Neil Putnam, Ellison Review Vol II, p.190, 6 March 2014 (accessed November 2015)
  8. ↑ Judgement in Flood v Times Newspaper Ltd, Supreme Court, [2012] UKSC 11, 21 March 2012.
  9. ↑ Michael Gillard, Detective accused of taking bribes from Russian exiles, The Times, 2 June 2006.
  10. ↑ Tom Harper, Former Met detective alleged to have billed lawyers for invoices worth 'thousands of pounds' in Nigerian politician case, The Independent, 9 January 2015.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Tom Harper, Ex-Yard officer charged with multiple thefts, The Independent, 26 July 2014.
  12. ↑ RISC Management Team, ManagingRISC.com (company website), archived at Archive.org on 23 April 2008.
  13. ↑ Director of Mayfayre Security Services Ltd from 21 February 1995 to 1 January 1996, Mayfayre Security Services Limited, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed November 2015).
  14. ↑ Director of Mayfayre Associates Limited from 14 February 1997 to end; liquidator appointed 5 October 1998, finally dissolved and struck off 15 February 2002. Mayfayre Associates Limited, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed August 2015).
  15. ↑ Animus Associates Ltd, About, company website, undated (accessed 30 July 2015).
  16. ↑ Simon Wright & Matthew Drake, Max Clifford and Rolf Harris hire private eyes to investigate alleged victims, The Mirror, 23 May 2015 (accessed 30 July 2015).
  17. ↑ 28 May 1998 to 29 August 2002. Keith Lindsay Hunter, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 26 July 2015).
  18. ↑ 29 October 1999 to end (dissolved 2007). Senate Food Services Limited, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 24 August 2015).
  19. ↑ Verify Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 12 March 2016)
  20. ↑ Martin Worsley was also a director of A1 Company Services Ltd, which appears to be the parent company for Temple Secretaries Ltd and Company Directors Ltd, and on its websites (http://a1international.net & http://www.a1companies.com - accessed 12 March 2016) states it is a specialist in establishing offshore companies.
  21. ↑ Pablo Holdings Ltd, CompaniesList.co.uk, undated (accessed 12 March 2016). In another filing for Verify Ltd, the consent form where Hunter is appointed director of Verify Ltd is signed by Worsley
  22. ↑ Appointment of director for Verify Ltd, Companies House, 8 December 2005 (accessed 25 October 2016).
  23. ↑ The Business Phone Limited, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 24 August 2015).
  24. ↑ Nicholas Paul Rattray, Endole.co.uk, undated (accessed 24 August 2015).
  25. ↑ From his biography at Bloomberg:"Nick Rattray serves as Corporate Counsel and Executive Director at The Business Phone Limited. Following 10 years in private practice specialising in big-ticket international litigation, fraud, money laundering and insolvency, Mr. Rattray has wide-ranging business experience at director level having headed up the London operation of Euro Sales Finance (later Mint Ltd), an AIM listed international factoring and invoice discounting company", Bloomberg Company Overview of The Business Phone Limited - Executive Profile: Nick Rattray, Bloomberg Business, undated (accessed 24 August 2015). He is also associated with legal firm Thor Lion LLP since September 2014 - source: Nick Rattray, Profile, LinkedIn.com, undated (accessed 24 August 2015).
  26. ↑ Asset Hunter (UK) Ltd, CompaniesHouse.gov.uk, undated (accessed 12 March (2016).
  27. ↑ Asset Hunter (UK) Ltd, CompaniesHouse.gov.uk, undated (accessed 12 March (2016).
  28. ↑ Valiatis is a business advisor who specialises in setting up companies; currently Managing Director of Duport Ltd.
  29. ↑ Cobham Construction Limited Limited, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed November 2015).
  30. ↑ David Hudson, born 1972; a founding partner of Piccadilly Capital London LLP, but formerly a partner in Baker Tilly (2009-2012) and Begbies Traynor Group (1991-2009). See: (i) David Hudson, Profile, LinkedIn.com, undated (accessed 24 August 2015) (ii) David Hudson (Profile), ZoomInfo.com, undated (accessed 24 August 2015)
  31. ↑ Hunter was director from 19 Aug 2011 to 19 Apr 2013. Dundrennan Ltd, Endole.co.uk, undated (accessed 19 August 2015).
  32. ↑ Dundrennan Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 24 August 2015).
  33. ↑ Hunter is director from 19 August 2011 to 19 April 2013 Tullyfell Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 19 August 2015).
  34. ↑ Hunter is director from 20 Jan 2012 to 19 Apr 2013. El Divino Belfast Ltd, Endole.co.uk, undated (accessed 19 August 2015).
  35. ↑ El Divino Belfast Ltd, CompanyCheck.co.uk, undated (accessed 19 August 2015).
  36. ↑ Contact - RISC, Sahar Daftary Trust, undated (accessed 1 August 2015).
  37. ↑ Member Profile: Keith Hunter, Association of British Investigators Ltd, undated (accessed 1 August 2015).
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