UK regulator fines Carillion's former chief $324,500 over misleading statements (updated)

Carillion

16/02/2026 12:37

Adds details, quote in paragraph 3

LONDON, Feb 16 - Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday it had fined the former chief executive of Carillion, Richard Howson, 237,700 pounds ($324,500) for his role in misleading statements issued by the company before it collapsed.

Carillion, once one of Britain's biggest contractors with 43,000 staff, collapsed in January 2018 under 7 billion pounds of liabilities.

"The FCA found that Mr Howson acted recklessly and was knowingly concerned in breaches by Carillion of the Market Abuse Regulation and the Listing Rules," Britain's financial regulator said in a statement.

The FCA said the penalty was imposed only after Howson withdrew his challenge to the regulator's findings, allowing the decision to take effect.

The regulator added that while the group finance director bore primary responsibility for ensuring market statements were accurate, Howson had a significant part to play as the board member with the deepest knowledge of construction and contracting.

Earlier this year, the regulator also
fined
 two former Carillion finance chiefs after they abandoned appeals against findings that they misled investors.

($1 = 0.7327 pounds)

 (Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James and Kate Holton)

 ((sam.tabahriti@thomsonreuters.com ; +447585976686))