On 27 June 2012, the FSA published the final notice issued to Barclays Bank plc, detailing a £59.5 million fine for misconduct relating to its submission of rates that formed part of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and the Euro Interbank Offered Rate (“EURIBOR”). This is the largest ever fine that the FSA has imposed. Final Notice.
In particular, Barclays breached the following Principles:
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Principle 5 (market conduct) – Barclays was found to have breach Principle 5 by making US dollar LIBOR and EURIBOR submissions that took into account requests made by interest rate derivatives traders.
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Principle 3 (management and control) – Barclays did not have adequate risk management systems or effective controls in place relating to its LIBOR and EURIBOR submission process.
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Principle 2 (skill, care and diligence) – Barclays failed to conduct its business with due skill, care and diligence when considering issues raised internally relating to its LIBOR submissions.
In addition to the fine by the FSA, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission fined Barclays $200 million, and Barclays agreed to pay a penalty of $160 million as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Barclays settlement is the first settlement announced in connection with the LIBOR probe, with regulators investigating more than 20 banks.
