Episode 020 - David Frost, Emil Savundra, and the trial by television

Episode 020 of the Rainbow Valley podcast – telling the stories that made the swinging decade.

Emil Savundra, for a brief period in the late sixties, was probably the most reviled man in the UK. A Sri Lankan swindler, the collapse of his Fire, Auto and Marine Insurance Company left about 400,000 motorists in the United Kingdom without coverage.

As a post-war black marketeer, Savundra committed bribery and fraud on an international scale before settling in the UK to sell low-cost insurance in the fast-growing automotive market. By defaulting on mandatory securities, he funded a lavish lifestyle and travelled in fashionable circles.

This attracted the attention of the press, who uncovered evidence of major fraud. In a TV interview with David Frost, Savundra demonstrated contempt for his defrauded customers (some of whom were in the studio audience) and denied any moral responsibility.

That particular tv show witnessed the birth of trial by television and is a fascinating piece of broadcasting history.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of David Frost, Emil Savundra, and the trial by television.

 

 

 

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This has been a Stinking Pause production.

 

Thanks for listening

Scott

http://rainbowvalley.libsyn.com/podcast