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Police investigating conduct of former BPI anti-piracy chief
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 20 March 2017
Record industry trade group the BPI has confirmed that a police investigation is ongoing into the conduct of its former anti-piracy chief David Wood.
The statement follows a report by Torrentfreak last week that says that Wood, a former policeman and regular commentator on anti-piracy initiatives while with the BPI, is accused of misappropriating funds before his dismissal from the trade body in late 2015. The BPI subsequently revamped its anti-piracy unit and appointed new leadership.
The specific allegations made against Wood are not currently known, though Torrentfreak’s sources claim six figure sums are involved. Meanwhile bankruptcy proceedings were filed against him last year, and an intellectual property enforcement company he established a few months before his departure from the BPI is seemingly being wound down.
A spokesperson for the BPI said: “[We] can confirm that a former employee, David Wood, was dismissed for gross misconduct in December 2015. BPI has referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police who are investigating. As investigations are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment in any more detail at this stage”.