美司法部介入英國央行外匯操縱調查
The integrity of a Bank of England inquiry is in question as prosecutors in the US probe what the central bank knew about traders’ behaviour in the foreign-exchange market.
對於英國央行(Bank of England)對交易員外匯市場行爲的知情程度，美國檢察官正在開展調查，此舉令英國央行此前一項調查的信譽面臨質疑。The Department of Justice has secretly requested an interview with a senior Royal Bank of Scotland forex trader previously questioned as part of the BoE’s own investigation into whether any of its officials knew of or connived in manipulation of forex, one of the world’s biggest financial markets. US prosecutors are concerned over the thoroughness of the BoE’s report and the way its inquiry was handled, according to people familiar with the situation.
美國司法部(DoJ)已祕密要求問詢一名蘇格蘭皇家銀行(RBS)資深外匯交易員。該交易員此前曾在英國央行的調查中接受質詢，以調查是否有英國央行的官員知曉或縱容對外匯交易的操縱。根據知情人士的說法，美國檢察官對英國央行調查報告的全面性及該行的調查方式存在疑慮。
The DoJ request — made without informing the UK authorities — comes at a sensitive time for the bank. It is trying to recast its image as a more transparent and accountable institution, even as it has been drawn into an unprecedented criminal investigation by the UK Serious Fraud Office. The SFO is separately looking at the extent of any BoE officials’ involvement in the alleged manipulation of money-market auctions at the onset of the financial crisis.
美國司法部的問詢要求並未知會英國當局，對於英國央行來說，這一要求正處於十分敏感的時期。儘管此前曾捲入英國嚴重欺詐辦公室(Serious Fraud Office，簡稱SFO)一場史無前例的刑事調查，英國央行目前仍在試圖將自身形象重塑爲透明度更高、更負責任的機構。目前，SFO正在另一起案件中，調查英國央行是否有官員曾在金融危機期間，參與操縱貨幣市場拍賣業務的活動。
The BoE’s earlier £3m forex inquiry, led by Lord Grabiner QC, a veteran City litigator, cleared bank officials of any wrongdoing but said an official — who has since been dismissed for unrelated matters — should have escalated concerns to superiors.
英國央行此前有關300萬英鎊外匯交易的問詢，由資深倫敦金融城律師格拉比內勳爵(Lord Grabiner QC)領導。那次問詢排除了央行官員存在任何不良行爲的可能性。不過，該報告表示一名官員本應將問題提交給上級，自那以來這位官員已因與此無關的事情被解職。Questions have already been raised about the thoroughness of the forex report, with the parliamentary Treasury select committee this year raising concerns over whether the terms of the inquiry had been drawn too narrowly.
對於該行這份外匯交易調查報告，之前已有人質疑其全面性。今年，英國議會財政部特別委員會(Treasury Select Committee)曾質疑問詢條款的涵蓋範圍是否太過狹窄。At the time Mark Carney, BoE governor, told the committee that the original Grabiner report was “thorough and comprehensive” and that the barrister had “free rein to investigate absolutely anything he needed to”. The bank declined to comment further on Wednesday and the DoJ declined to comment.
當時，英國央行行長馬克•卡尼(Mark Carney)曾告訴該委員會，格拉比內勳爵最初的報告“全面而深入”，訴訟律師“在調查需要調查的任何事情時都很自由”。週三，該行拒絕發表進一步置評，美國司法部也拒絕置評此事。The DoJ has asked to interview James Pearson, head of RBS’s European forex trading, at the US embassy, according to people familiar with the situation. Mr Pearson is in an unusual position as he is not being investigated by the DoJ as part of its criminal probe. Part of that investigation is due to be settled imminently with five banks, including RBS, paying a total of $6bn in fines.
知情人士表示，美國司法部已要求在美國大使館問詢蘇格蘭皇家銀行歐洲外匯交易主管詹姆斯•皮爾遜(James Pearson)。由於對皮爾遜的問詢不屬於美國司法部刑事調查的一部分，皮爾遜在這次調查中處於一種非常罕見的局面之中。對於這輪調查，美國司法部很快會就部分案例，與包括蘇格蘭皇家銀行在內的五家銀行達成和解。這五家銀行共需支付總計60億美元的罰金。The DoJ, as well as the SFO, are still continuing with their criminal investigations into individuals, however.
不過，美國司法部和SFO仍在繼續開展針對個人的刑事調查。
