Three arrested in £1m fraud probe at University of Greater Manchester
Police raided five properties across northern England, arresting two men and a woman on suspicion of money laundering and fraud. The investigation centres on alleged financial irregularities at the University of Greater Manchester.
Three arrested over alleged £1m fraud at University of Greater Manchester
Three people have been arrested following raids on five properties across northern England as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the University of Greater Manchester, bbc.co.uk reports.
Two men in their 60s and a woman in her 50s were detained on suspicion of money laundering. Both men were also questioned on suspicion of fraud, and one of them faced an additional allegation of bribery.
Greater Manchester Police said the raids targeted two properties in Bolton, one in Lancashire, one in Humberside and one in West Yorkshire. The force said it was "exploring evidence indicating over £1m worth of fraudulent activity", encompassing 60 transactions and more than a million emails.
The latest arrests follow a separate round of raids on seven properties in Greater Manchester and the south of England in July 2025. The investigation was launched earlier that year after reports by the Manchester Mill raised allegations of financial misconduct, racism and bullying at the institution.
The university, which employs around 900 staff and has approximately 11,000 students, was known as the University of Bolton until a name change was announced in December 2024.
Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson described the arrests as "a key development in this significant and complex investigation", adding that detectives were conducting "painstaking work". He said the operation was lengthy and that officers were "following every line of enquiry" to build the strongest possible case for a potential prosecution.
Jackson said the investigation had "become an even more complex picture since the allegations were first brought to our attention a year ago", with targeted phases focusing on each separate element so that every strand could be progressed "methodically and thoroughly".
He added that the latest arrests relate to "one key strand of that investigation" and that officers were working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, with a view to submitting an initial file of evidence before the end of the year.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)