Former City banker Crispin Odey is suing the Financial Times for libel after it published allegations that he had sexually assaulted multiple women.
Court records show the case was filed at the High Court on Wednesday afternoon, almost a year after the FT and Tortoise Media first jointly published the accusations.
They included claims from several women, who reportedly had social or professional relationships with Odey, that they had been abused or harassed by him, with some alleging he sexually assaulted them.
Odey has denied the allegations against him, telling the FT they were “rubbish”.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the paper said that a claim had been issued and that it would be “vigorously defending” its reporting.
They said: “More than 11 months after publication of our initial investigative news report about Crispin Odey his lawyers recently sent us a letter of claim, and a libel claim has now been issued without waiting for our reply.
“We have not yet been served with the claim, but our investigative journalism about Mr Odey was carefully prepared and publication was in the public interest.
“We stand by our reporting and look forward to vigorously defending it.”
The investigation was one of three stories that led to FT journalist Antonia Cundy being awarded New Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards in December.
Cundy, the FT’s Madison Marriage and Tortoise’s Paul Caruana Galizia are currently shortlisted for Private Eye’s Paul Foot Award for Investigative and Campaigning Journalism for the story.
Odey’s solicitors have been approached for comment.
Days after the accusations were published on 8 June last year, Odey left his position at Odey Asset Management, the hedge fund he founded.
The firm was then wound down in October after several banks cut ties following the accusations.
The High Court was told in March that the former banker is facing legal action by five women, including one who accused him of raping her in the 1990s and that he then “exploited her over the course of several years”.
A hearing in the libel case is expected to take place at a later date.
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