A multi-million-pound fraud case involving a former Norwich firm has been dropped following a court hearing.

In 2019 at a New York district court, US fast food firm FAT Brands accused a company which was then registered on Prince of Wales Road, called SJ Global Investments Worldwide Limited, of being involved in conspiracy to defraud it.

But the company’s lawyers applied to the judge to dismiss the case, arguing there was no evidence of fraud.

Judge Jesse Furman has now ruled in their favour stating the evidence of fraud against them was “insufficient”.

Managing director Neil Wash described the lawsuit as “frivolous”.

“Seeing your credibility and integrity questioned in a lawsuit that had nothing to do with us was literally heart wrenching,” he said. “We pride ourselves in ethical investments and giving back to communities is our ethos and mission statement."

“If this case was presented in a UK court it would never have reached the first step,” he claimed.

The row began when FAT Brands tried to raise $100m in financing in 2018.

The company used a businessman, named in the court documents as Karl Douglas from a New York company called PPMT Capital, to find an investor. PPMT and Mr Douglas are still defendants in the case.

FAT Brands claimed that in August 2018 Mr Douglas told them the Qatari Royals would provide funding for the deal.

But the money never arrived and in January 2019 Mr Douglas is alleged to have told FAT Brands that SJ Global Investments Worldwide Limited would provide the funding instead.

On January 27, 2019, FAT Brand's chief executive, Andrew Wiederhorn, met Mr Douglas and representatives of SJ Global Investments Worldwide Limited in Zurich, the court documents state.

But when FAT Brands never received the funding, they accused PPMT and SJ Global Investments Worldwide Limited of fraud.

Mr Walsh added: “The damage has been challenging but it has made us more resolute and bought us all together as one unit.

"Now our name has been cleared and we are totally vindicated we just want to continue the quest of being one of the top investment firms worldwide.”

FAT Brands' case against PPMT continues.