The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is the UK's largest non-profit newsroom. Exposing injustice & sparking change.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is an independent not-for-profit organisation established in 2010. We pursue research, investigations, reporting and analysis which is of public benefit by undertaking in depth research into the governance of public, private and third sector organisations and their influence. Our aim is to help educate the public about the realities of power in today’s world.

We are particularly concerned with the undermining of democratic processes and failures to accord with fair, legal and transparent practices. All of our work is freely available under a Creative Commons licence. We moderate our page and incivility and hate speech are not tolerated.

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike hit the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza and killed 20 people, including five journalists ...
27/08/2025

On Monday, an Israeli airstrike hit the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza and killed 20 people, including five journalists – Mohamed Salama, Moaz Abu Taha, Hussam al-Masri, Ahmed Abu Aziz and Mariam Dagga.

Just last week, we reported on the spiralling infections crisis at this hospital.

Photographer Mariam Dagga’s work captured the scores of wounded brought to Nasser, southern Gaza’s main hospital: https://bit.ly/3HFHmMR

The press must be free to report on the atrocities happening in Gaza – Palestinian journalists documenting the war are protected civilians under international law.

The Cypriot tax authority has filed criminal charges over Roman Abramovich’s sham yacht-rental scheme – with the aim of ...
26/08/2025

The Cypriot tax authority has filed criminal charges over Roman Abramovich’s sham yacht-rental scheme – with the aim of recovering more than €25m in tax dodged by his company.

The multimillion-euro scheme was brought to light after we published an investigation earlier this year in partnership with the BBC, the Guardian, and OCCRP’s Cypriot network member CIReN 👇

Tax commissioner aiming to recover €25m in taxes dodged by oligarch through sham yacht-hire venture

It started with a giant spreadsheet. Now a man is being investigated for potentially stealing as much as £130m from the ...
26/08/2025

It started with a giant spreadsheet. Now a man is being investigated for potentially stealing as much as £130m from the UK government.

When councils were facing a funding squeeze and local services were on the chopping block, our Bureau Local editor, Gareth Davies, had put together a spreadsheet using data from several freedom of information requests.

It showed the local authorities that were borrowing and lending the most – that was supposed to be the story. But one council stood out: Thurrock.

Over five years, Gareth revealed that the council’s chief finance officer had poured hundreds of millions of pounds into a portfolio of solar farms run by one man, Liam Kavanagh.

None of the sums seemed to be adding up and Council officials didn’t want to admit something had gone wrong, even as new valuations suggested there was a £200m black hole in their budget.

At every step of the way, Thurrock fought Gareth’s efforts to get hold of more information, forcing us to take them to a tribunal just to answer a freedom of information request.

Finally, Gareth was able to get hold of financial records that showed money flowing out of one of Kavanagh’s companies to fund big money purchases: a yacht, a private jet, and a fully decked-out flat in Bucharest.

Right at the start of the investigation, Kavanagh had agreed to talk to us but he pulled out days beforehand and, as we later learnt, started liquidating his assets. Liam, if you’re reading this, Gareth is still open to an interview.

He has always denied misleading the council and any allegations of fraud. But the Serious Fraud Office is now investigating the deals and Thurrock council has also changed its tune. In a separate action, the council is now suing Kavanagh.

We faced many obstacles in telling this story, but we kept going because we knew how important it was. When Gareth went to a protest outside Thurrock's town hall – he was greeted like a friend. It still moves him to this day.

Since the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was set up in May, southern Gaza’s largest hospital, Nasser,...
21/08/2025

Since the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) was set up in May, southern Gaza’s largest hospital, Nasser, has been forced to operate at twice its capacity.

Overwhelmed with patients every day, its makeshift wards spill into corridors, courtyards and tents. Dozens of injured civilians arrive at once, with open wounds and missing limbs. The hospital’s 20 to 30 available beds fill instantly.

“They are waiting on the ground for treatment for days,” one doctor we spoke to told us.

Shortage of supplies such as wound dressings has meant that a huge proportion of patients go on to develop infections after operations. But without diagnostic labs, Nasser’s doctors have no way of knowing which bacteria they are treating – and whether the antibiotics they are giving the patient will work.

The deteriorating conditions at Nasser caused by Israeli bombing also mean that insects and other pests fill hospital wards and operating rooms, increasing risk of infection and leading to many avoidable amputations or even death. All of this has resulted in a boom of superbugs.

The Israel Defense Forces told us that “following incidents in which harm to civilians who arrived at distribution facilities was reported, thorough examinations were conducted” and “the incidents are under review”.

As well as unfolding mass famine, Israel’s food blockades have left Gaza’s doctors without crucial items.

Last year, we reported that doctors resorted to using vinegar to disinfect and treat wounds due to shortages. But Israel has shut all crossings to Gaza – limiting food supplies.

Now, even vinegar is no longer an option.

Sudden surge in mass casualty events, many at aid points, has created conditions where bacteria can spread unchecked

Two men have been killed in separate incidents at Del Monte’s Kenyan pineapple farm in the past week. It has been the si...
16/08/2025

Two men have been killed in separate incidents at Del Monte’s Kenyan pineapple farm in the past week. It has been the site of numerous allegations of violence and killings – many of which were first revealed in our joint investigation with the Guardian in 2023.

The horrific allegations span decades. We've investigated at least 11 deaths, including four men found dead in a river in December 2023.

Del Monte and G4S did not comment on this story.

After one man was allegedly run over by a G4S guard, another was shot during a violent clash with police

We condemn the killing of Mohammed Qreiqeh and Anas al-Sharif, Moamen Aliwa, Mohammed Noufal, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohamma...
11/08/2025

We condemn the killing of Mohammed Qreiqeh and Anas al-Sharif, Moamen Aliwa, Mohammed Noufal, Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammad Al-Khaldi.

A confirmed 186 journalists have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

We recently revealed how weapons-tech firm Anduril has set its sights on the UK government, winning influential supporte...
08/08/2025

We recently revealed how weapons-tech firm Anduril has set its sights on the UK government, winning influential supporters and contracts worth tens of millions of pounds.

Join us on Thursday, 14 August, to hear from TBIJ’s very own Niamh McIntyre, who reported the story. We’ll delve deeper into the murky ties between Anduril and the UK government – and why this story matters.

Sign up for free: https://bit.ly/TBIJLIVE

A partner at Britain’s “most feared” libel firm, Carter-Ruck, is set to be prosecuted at a disciplinary tribunal over an...
06/08/2025

A partner at Britain’s “most feared” libel firm, Carter-Ruck, is set to be prosecuted at a disciplinary tribunal over an “improper” threat to sue.

We understand the case is linked to a letter the firm sent on behalf of a multibillion-dollar ponzi scheme, OneCoin, and its founder – a fugitive who’s currently on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

Back in 2023 Together we revealed in a joint investigation with The Economist how Carter-Ruck threatened victims who had spoken out about the fraud with defamation lawsuits.

One such victim, Jen McAdam, who tried to raise awareness of the scam, told us the letter caused her significant distress at a time when she had already lost her life savings.

Following our investigation, Tax Policy Associates founder Dan Neidle filed a report to the SRA about Carter-Ruck’s conduct in McAdam’s case.

Neidle told us: “Solicitors have ethical and professional obligations. We’re not permitted to act for an obvious fraud and threaten people who call out the fraud. But that’s what Carter-Ruck did. This should face severe professional sanction.”

Claire Gill understood to be facing tribunal over letter attempting to silence victim of a huge fraud scheme, as reported by TBIJ

How can a group of people sitting in a skyscraper overlooking the Persian Gulf take money from victims around the world?...
30/07/2025

How can a group of people sitting in a skyscraper overlooking the Persian Gulf take money from victims around the world?

We recently uncovered a story about hundreds of unsuspecting victims, a vast web of shell companies and dodgy due diligence by one of Europe’s biggest payment processors.

Here's how we did it 👇

We mapped out how a group of people in a Dubai skyscraper were able to defraud victims around the world

We recently revealed how scammers have targeted nearly a third of all UK councils and more than a dozen hospitals with "...
29/07/2025

We recently revealed how scammers have targeted nearly a third of all UK councils and more than a dozen hospitals with "quishing" (QR phishing) scams. We even linked some of these QR codes, which often request sensitive information, to a criminal network based in Dubai.

So how do you protect yourself? 👇

As the use of QR codes has surged, so has their exploitation by criminals

Anduril, a defence tech company supplying the U.S. government with AI-powered weapons, has turned its attention to the U...
23/07/2025

Anduril, a defence tech company supplying the U.S. government with AI-powered weapons, has turned its attention to the UK – with plans to reportedly build a factory in the country to serve as a European base.

Once described as “tech’s most controversial startup”, Anduril holds major contracts with various US military agencies. That includes the Marine Corps and Customs and Border Protection agency – which has 300 autonomous surveillance towers stationed along the southern border.

This year, Anduril said it will be collaborating with Meta on VR products for the military.

The defence tech company has now turned its focus to a European expansion. To increase its influence in the UK, Anduril recently secured the services of two reputable advisers, including a boutique firm founded by Victoria Mackarness – who has done PR for radar company Blighter, which supplies the UK and US militaries, and Israeli defence giant Elbit Systems.

Thanks to the help of seasoned lobbyists and public relations experts, Anduril has built up a powerful network in the UK. Its first deal with the UK government came in 2021 – and the change of government does not seem to have had a negative impact.

With Keir Starmer wanting to boost defence spending by 20%, business is looking likely for the weapons-tech firm that has quietly established itself within the UK’s plans for security.

The ‘defence disruptor’ has launched a charm offensive in Westminster – and it’s already paying off in the millions

First came the fires, then the floods. The US has been battered this year by extreme weather events that have killed hun...
23/07/2025

First came the fires, then the floods.

The US has been battered this year by extreme weather events that have killed hundreds and rendered many others without insurance effectively homeless. As climate risks continue to grow, insurers are rethinking what they choose to cover.

Chubb, one of the world’s largest insurers, cut insurance cover in wildfire-prone areas of California in 2021 (but still incurred $1.5bn in losses from the Los Angeles fires).

It also pledged to ‘do its part as a steward of Earth’ and stop covering coal projects. But it has now become the lead reinsurer for a coal-fired power plant in Vietnam – just last week Chubb reinsured Nghi Son 2, a 1.2GW power plant on Vietnam’s coast fuelled entirely by coal 👇

The company pledged to ‘do its part as a steward of the Earth’ but will now back a coal-fired power station

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Exposing the facts, informing the public

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism is an independent not-for-profit organisation established in 2010. We pursue research, investigations, reporting and analysis which is of public benefit by undertaking in depth research into the governance of public, private and third sector organisations and their influence. Our aim is to help educate the public about the realities of power in today’s world. We are particularly concerned with the undermining of democratic processes and failures to accord with fair, legal and transparent practices. All of our work is freely available under a Creative Commons licence. We moderate our page and incivility and hate speech are not tolerated.