Ex-Autonomy CFO asks to avoid prison over virus dangers

Former Autonomy finance director Sushovan Hussain

American prisons have severely restricted movement and interaction in their battle with Covid, and around one in 10 of those in federal facilities have tested positive.

Mr Hussain’s lawyers said arriving in prison would mean three weeks of solitary confinement and visits would be restricted, while his age and health conditions made him a risk. They instead proposed a term of probation with home confinement.

Since arriving in the US for trial in 2018, Mr Hussain has been living in a San Francisco apartment which prosecutors say costs around $7,500 a month and is being paid for by Invoke Capital, the venture fund run by Autonomy founder Mike Lynch.