Serious Fraud Office payments to ex-CEO 'irregular'

Pension and severance payments of £412,000 made to the former chief executive of the Serious Fraud Office have been ruled as "irregular" by the National Audit Office.

It said the payments made to Phillippa Williamson were "made without proper authorisation".

As a result, the National Audit Office said it was "qualifying" the SFO's annual accounts for 2011-12.

Ms Williamson took voluntary redundancy earlier this year.

This means the NAO did not approve the accounts as being spent in the way the money was intended by Parliament.

The head of the NAO, Amyas Morse, said: "By failing to seek approval from the Cabinet Office and the Treasury, the Serious Fraud Office entered into an agreement which forced it to make irregular payments.

"While positive steps have been taken by the incoming director, I have qualified the organisation's accounts."