The founder of an A-list London nightspot and a former Met Police officer once dubbed the “Sheriff of Soho” have been charged with an alleged bribery conspiracy.
Ryan Bishti, the charismatic 41-year-old businessman who launched Soho’s Cirque le Soir nightclub, has been accused alongside ex-Sergeant Frank Partridge, 48, with an alleged plot involving “the Westminster police licensing unit, and seven business owners and night club operators”.
They, alongside six others, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery between February 2013 and June 2015, following a long-running investigation by Scotland Yard’s anti-corruption command.
Cirque le Soir, a venue off Carnaby Street, became a celebrity hotspot after its launch in 2009, attracting stars including Cara Delevingne, Miley Cyrus, and Rihanna to its decadent nights.
Terry Neil, 55, the boss of security firm TSS, and his ex-wife Soraya Henderson, also 55, have also been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery.
Pamela Bishti, 66, Hassan Serdoud, 54, Anna Ginandes, 44, and Eamonn Mulholland, 54, have been named as co-defendants.
All eight accused are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on December 21.
Announcing the news, the Met said: “The charges follow a long-running investigation by officers from the Anti-Corruption Command examining allegations of corruption by police licensing officers in Westminster, and inappropriate relationships between police officers and people running local businesses.
“A file was initially passed to the Crown Prosecution Service in December 2017 and following further work, eight people have now been charged.”
Partridge, of Wing, Buckinghamshire, Ryan Bishti, from south Kensington, Pamela Bishti, of Croydon, Serdoud and Ginandes, both from Camden, Neil, of Slough, Henderson, from Flackwell Heath in High Wycombe, and Mulholland, from Islington have not yet entered any pleas.
Serdoud faces a second charge of bribery.
