The former chief financial officer of the company behind bakery Patisserie Valerie has been charged with fraud alongside three others, including his wife.
The Serious Fraud Office said that it had charged Christopher Marsh, Louise Marsh, who is an accountant, with conspiracy to defraud, as well as Mr Marsh’s former number two Pritesh Mistry and financial consultant Nileshkumar Lad.
The investigation was launched in 2018 into a case which saw the bakery chain tumble into administration with a £94 million hole in it accounts.
It cost 900 jobs.
SFO director Lisa Osofsky said: “Patisserie Valerie’s abrupt collapse rocked our high streets, leaving boarded-up shops, devastating job losses and significant investor losses in its wake.
“Today is a step forward in getting to the bottom of this scandal.”
Lad, Mistry and Mr Marsh were also charged with five counts of fraud by false representation, and one count of making and supplying articles for use in frauds.
Mr Marsh faces a further charge of making false statements as a company director.
