Criminal fraud trial of UK tech tycoon Mike Lynch to begin today | Autonomy

The criminal fraud trial of the British technology tycoon once dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates” is due to begin in San Francisco today.Mike Lynch, co-founder of the UK software company Autonomy, stands accused of artificially inflating the software firm’s sales; misleading auditors, analysts and regulators; and intimidating people who raised concerns before its blockbuster takeover by Hewlett-Packard in 2011.He has pleaded not guilty, having always denied the allegations of wrongdoing. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in jail.HP bought Autonomy in an $11.1bn (£8.72bn) deal…