巴克萊多名前高管面臨英國監管機構訊問

Bob Diamond, John Varley and other senior members of Barclays’ former management are to be questioned under caution by the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, in an acceleration of its probe into alleged corrupt arrangements in Qatar as part of the bank’s emergency cash call in 2008.

巴克萊(Barclays)前高管鮑博•戴蒙德(Bob Diamond)、韋駿賢(John Varley)等人將在被告知法律權利的情況下，接受英國嚴重欺詐辦公室(SFO)的訊問，此舉標誌着針對該行2008年緊急募資期間涉嫌在卡塔爾進行腐敗安排的調查提速。

For Barclays, which last week launched a restructuring plan to boost struggling profitability, the news is an unwelcome reminder of the legacy issues that still hang over it. “They’ve just sliced off two arms and a leg, and still someone’s out to get them,” said one person involved.

巴克萊上週宣佈重組計劃，以求提振低迷的盈利能力。對該行來說，這一消息是一個不受歡迎的提醒，表明該行尚未擺脫遺留問題。“他們剛剛砍掉了兩個胳膊和一條腿，可還是有人要懲罰他們，”一位相關的人士表示。

A dozen individuals have now been either interviewed under caution or called for interview by the SFO, according to people familiar with the probe. Aside from Mr Diamond and Mr Varley, both former Barclays chiefs, they include Roger Jenkins, former head of the bank’s tax advisory business, and Chris Lucas, former finance director.

據瞭解調查情況的人士透露，迄今已有12人要麼在被告知法律權利的情況下接受SFO訊問，要麼已接到訊問通知。除了戴蒙德和韋駿賢這兩名巴克萊前掌門人以外，這些人包括該行前稅務諮詢部門負責人羅傑•詹金斯(Roger Jenkins)和前財務總監克里斯•盧卡斯(Chris Lucas)。

An interview under caution suggests the SFO believes it may haveTHIS MUST STET reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual has committed an offence. Such interviews are preceded by the warning: “You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court.” Such questioning does not require arrest and can instead be scheduled by appointment, as is the case with the Barclays probe. Mr Jenkins had his interview before Easter, Mr Lucas’s is expected to take place over the next few weeks, while no date has been set for any interviews of Mr Varley or Mr Diamond, people familiar with the probe told the Financial Times. No charging decision will be reached until the interviews have been conducted.

在告知法律權利的情況下進行訊問暗示，SFO相信自己可能有合理理由懷疑相關個人已觸犯法律。此類訊問開始之前必須發出這樣的警告：“你可以不說話。但如果你在被問到某件事的時候不表態，而你日後在法庭上會依據這件事進行辯護，那可能不利於你的辯護。”此類訊問不需要逮捕，而是可以預約安排，巴克萊調查中就是這麼做的。熟悉調查進展的人士告訴英國《金融時報》，詹金斯在復活節之前接受了訊問，盧卡斯預計將在未來幾周內接受訊問，而戴蒙德和韋駿賢尚未約定訊問日期。在進行這些訊問之前，不會做出控罪決定。

For the bank, the ultimate risk of the SFO’s investigation is a corporate prosecution under the UK’s antiquated corruption laws, which have since been overhauled by the 2011 Bribery Act. Under the old laws, the SFO must prove that a so-called “directing mind” of a company knew of, and ordered, bribes.

對該行來說，SFO調查的最大風險是，當局根據英國舊的反腐法律（該法現已被2011年英國《反賄賂法》(2011 Bribery Act)取代）提起針對企業的公訴。根據舊法，SFO必須證明相關企業的某個所謂“主使”瞭解並下令行賄。

The UK financial regulator has already said it wants to impose a £50m fine, which Barclays is contesting, for failing to disclose £322m in fees paid to Qatari investors. This brings the total of disclosed fees and commissions paid to investors in the Gulf state in 2008 to £450m, more than 7 per cent of the capital invested.

這家英國金融監管機構已表示，它打算施以5000萬英鎊罰款（巴克萊正在抗辯這一罰款提議），理由是巴克萊未能披露其向卡塔爾投資者支付了3.22億英鎊的費用。這使該行在2008年支付給這個海灣國家投資者的公開費用及佣金總和達到4.5億英鎊，超過投資資本的7%。

The SFO, Barclays and Mr Jenkins declined to comment. Lawyers for Mr Lucas and Mr Varley declined to comment. A lawyer for Qatar Holding did not respond to a request seeking comment. A spokesman for Mr Diamond said: “Mr Diamond will continue to assist wherever he can on anything related to Barclays but he is unable to comment on any specific inquiry.” Mr Diamond denies any wrongdoing.

SFO、巴克萊和詹金斯均拒絕置評。盧卡斯和韋駿賢的律師拒絕置評。卡塔爾控股(Qatar Holding)的一名律師沒有迴應置評請求。戴蒙德的一名發言人表示：“戴蒙德先生將繼續就任何與巴克萊相關的事務盡力給予協助，但他無法就任何具體調查發表評論。”戴蒙德否認有任何不當行爲。

Additional reporting by Daniel Schäfer in London

丹尼爾•謝弗(Daniel Schäfer)倫敦補充報道