Ruth Madoff, the wife of jailed self-confessed Ponzi scheme swindler Bernard Madoff, received $2 million the London office of his business in November, before he was arrested, the UK Serious Fraud Office said Thursday.
Sharon Lorimer
Madoff Securities International London Headquarters
The latest in the Madoff scandal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is likely to reignite speculation about the role played by Madoff Securities International Limited, the London brokerage arm, in the Ponzi scheme.
The SFO — which said in January it would open an investigation into possible links between Madoff's little-known London business and his US office — may announce the results of the inquiry this year, a spokesman told CNBC.com.
"We expect to be in a position that if charges are to be brought, we'll bring them this year," SFO Spokesman David Jones said.
"Madoff Securities International Limited played a big role in the operation of Bernand Madoff's investment fraud," Jones said.
Attorneys for each of Ruth Madoff and Bernard Madoff didn't return requests for comment, the Wall Street Journal said on its Web site.
The phone number of Madoff Securities International Limited in London is temporarily out of order.
Earlier this month, Madoff pleaded guilty to running the biggest investment fraud in Wall Street's history, which prosecutors said involved as much as $65 billion, and was subsequently jailed.
On Wednesday, a New York law student won a court order to temporarily freeze the assets of Peter Madoff, Bernard Madoff's brother, who has not been charged with any wrongdoing.