Former Rolls-Royce chief reportedly questioned in SFO investigation

Former Rolls-Royce chief executive John Rose has been reportedly questioned by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office in a bribery investigation.

Rose was one of many former Rolls-Royce executives questioned in the investigation, which the company settled last month by agreeing to pay £671m, according to the Financial Times. Rose served as CEO from 1996 to 2011.

The probe into alleged criminal conduct spanning three decades marked the largest ever undertaken by the SFO.

At the time, Judge Brian Leveson said the investigation had unravelled "the most serious breaches of criminal law in the areas of bribery and corruption, some of which implicated senior management".

Leveson said the investigation into the conduct of individuals was ongoing.

Roll-Royce, the SFO and the legal firm representing Rose all declined to comment.