One of the missing directors of the failed Arena Television has reportedly been found by local law enforcement in France.
According to The Times, the Serious Fraud Office is in discussions with French authorities over access to Robert Hopkinson.
Richard Yeowart, who is also wanted by the SFO, has not been seen since the company went bust in November 2021.
The Times’ report also states that Paul Froom from Sentinel Broadcast, one of Arena Television’s suppliers, and Nicholas Cousins, thought to have held a senior finance role at Arena, have been accused of providing “dishonest assistance” to Yeowart and Hopkinson.
Froom and Cousins are now being sued by Arena’s administrators Kroll for £285 million over claims they were involved in the collapse of the company.
The lawsuit alleges that invoices worth £8 million passed between Sentinel Broadcast and Arena Television between May 2019 and January 2021 to “fraudulently inflate” Arena’s revenue.
Sentinel is said to have paid more than £1 billion in total to Arena from 2003 to 2021, with £976 million paid into two undisclosed accounts, according to the lawsuit. It’s also claimed Sentinel received more than £1 million for non-existent work on video-server refurbishment and upgrades from Arena in 2018.
