Anthony James Morris of Palm Beach, Australia was charged yesterday (30 March) with defrauding nine pension funds of £52m,

Anthony James Morris of Palm Beach, Australia was charged yesterday (30 March) with defrauding nine pension funds of £52m, making him the fifth individual charged in the case.
Mr Morris, who was returned from Australia yesterday on an extradition warrant, has been remanded in custody to appear before Southwark Crown Court on 8 April 2011.
He was charged with conspiracy to defraud, theft and aiding and abetting fraud.
Mr Morris was a founding director of The Money Portal, which was the parent company of the independent trustee company GP Noble Trustees.
The case was referred to the Serious Fraud Office in July 2008 by The Pensions Regulator (TPR) following concerns raised over the conduct of G P Noble.
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) appointed Independent Trustee Services Limited (ITS) to manage the nine affected pension schemes in place of GP Noble.
TPR suspended GP Noble and two of its directors/officers, Graham Pitcher and Gary Cordell, from acting as trustees.
All three have since been prohibited from acting as trustees and GP Noble has gone into liquidation.
The Serious Fraud Office claims the alleged actions exposed the pensions of approximately 2,200 people to unacceptable risk.
Peter Malmstrom, 43, of London, an associate of Mr Morris, was charged in November 2010 with money laundering and proceeds of crime offences.
Mr Pitcher and Mr Cordell were charged in March 2010 while independent financial advisor Quentin Russell,