Banks have case to answer on forex
The forex collusion probe enters the prosecution phase, with banks facing penalties of up to 10% of turnover
Sixteen local and international banks are facing fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover after the Competition Commission decided to prosecute them for colluding to fix prices and allocate markets while trading foreign currency from 2007. Among the local banks referred to the Competition Tribunal for prosecution are Investec, Standard Bank and Absa. The commission will also prosecute megabanks Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse and Nomura. The commission found the banks breached the Competition Act by generally agreeing to collude on the prices dealers at these banks quoted to customers to buy the rand or dollar (offers) and the prices these dealers paid for these currencies on the market (bids). The dealers also colluded on the difference between the two prices, called the bid-offer spread."At the onset, we indicated that we would co-operate with the investigation," said the spokesman. "That’s what we’ve done and we’ll continue to ...
BL Premium
This article is reserved for our subscribers.
A subscription helps you enjoy the best of our business content every day along with benefits such as articles from our international business news partners; ProfileData financial data; and digital access to the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Daily.
Already subscribed? Simply sign in below.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now