British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is preparing to launch a campaign to support Britons who have been wrongfully convicted in the US, following his acquittal of multi-billion dollar fraud charges.
Lynch is considering funding a British equivalent of America’s Innocence Project, an organisation dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions in a country where only 0.4% of federal trials result in a not guilty verdict.
Last month, Lynch, 59, was cleared of fraud charges in a US court related to the £7bn sale of his software company, Autonomy, to Hewlett Packard (HP). He was extradited to the US last year and has been a vocal critic of the UK’s extradition treaty with America, which he and other opponents argue is unbalanced.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, Lynch said, “It has to be wrong that a US prosecutor has more power over a British citizen living in England than the UK police do. The system can sweep individuals away. There needs to be a contrarian possibility that’s saying, ‘Right, well, the whole world thinks you’re guilty but, actually, was that a fair conviction?’”
Lynch faced 17 counts of fraud and conspiracy brought by the US Department of Justice in 2018 and 2019, which accused him of inflating Autonomy’s revenues. HP had written down $5bn (£3.9bn) on Autonomy in 2012, a year after acquiring it, alleging serious accounting improprieties. Lynch argued that HP mismanaged the company after the acquisition.
The UK’s Serious Fraud Office investigated but did not charge Lynch. He maintained that any alleged misconduct occurred in Britain and should be prosecuted there. Despite his efforts to resist extradition, Lynch was transferred to California last May, where he was largely confined to a property in San Francisco, monitored by armed guards and forced to wear an ankle tag.
Describing his treatment, Lynch recounted how US marshals put him in chains and covered his head before bundling him onto a plane at Heathrow. “It’s ridiculous. You’re in chains, even though, like, what are you going to do?” he said.
Lynch’s acquittal after an 11-week trial was unexpected in the US legal system, where not guilty verdicts are exceedingly rare. Following the verdict, Lynch expressed his intention to campaign against the current US extradition laws, telling Conservative MP David Davis, “We’ve got work to do to put this extradition treaty right.”
Despite his acquittal, Lynch faces a damages verdict after being found liable for fraud in a UK civil case brought by HP, which is seeking up to $4bn. Lynch plans to appeal this decision. He reassured that his financial situation is secure due to smart technology investments made by his wife, and his net worth was estimated at $450m last year by his lawyer.
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