Harlequin

Harlequin Property SVG, the Caribbean arm of the group which is at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation, has failed to file accounts for 2012.

Harlequin Property, the troubled UK-based overseas property sales agent which is at the centre of a Serious Fraud Office investigation, is embroiled in 15 legal battles in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, IFAonline can reveal.

A group of 1,100 Harlequin investors is proposing to make an offer to the company's chairman, David Ames, to put the troubled overseas property company's assets in a trust while a managed wind down of the business is achieved.

Positive Solutions raised concerns with three clients about the advice to invest in Harlequin Property in 2010 after deeming the Caribbean property scheme to be too risky for a pension.

Advisers and agents selling clients investments in Caribbean villas run by Harlequin Property received commissions of up to 15%, according to a lawyer close to the situation.

The directors of the troubled £400m Caribbean property investment scheme run by Harlequin Property have been issued with a High Court order freezing their personal assets up to £1.1m.

The administrator of the sales arm of the troubled Harlequin Property group has racked up fees of more than £28,000 in its first ten days in the role.

The Public Interest Unit of the Insolvency Service is looking into the administration of the sales arm of Harlequin Property, IFAonline understands.

Retirement Planner's round-up of the top pension stories this week.

A group of Harlequin Property investors is seeking to agree a process with the company to facilitate the review of all investments through self-invested personal pensions (SIPPs) or those which have utilised a re-mortgage.