US AUTHORITIES are attempting to force tech darling Darktrace to hand over emails and documents following the ongoing fraud case against entrepreneur Mike Lynch.

Lynch was the founding investor behind the firm which now sits on the FTSE 100.

Prosecutors have applied for subpoenas against current Darktrace chief exec Poppy Gustafsson and six other employees of Lynch's previous software company Autonomy.

Lynch has been accused of 17 counts of conspiracy and fraud over the £7bn sale of Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011, including claims of "hush money" being used in the deal.

Lynch denies all claims and has been fighting US efforts to extradite him to face trial, with a decision due towards the end of the year.

Since four of the six requests are made towards non-US citizens, including Poppy Gustafsson, the authorities may have to ask courts in the UK and Italy to acquire the files.

HP has separately sued Mr Lynch in the English courts for $5bn (£3.7bn).

The Sunday Telegraph first reported the subpoenas.

(c) 2021 City A.M., source Newspaper