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.
巴克莱(Barclays)前高管鲍博•戴蒙德(Bob Diamond)、韦骏贤(John Varley)等人将在被告知法律权利的情况下，接受英国严重欺诈办公室(SFO)的讯问，此举标志着针对该行2008年紧急募资期间涉嫌在卡塔尔进行腐败安排的调查提速。
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.
巴克莱上周宣布重组计划，以求提振低迷的盈利能力。对该行来说，这一消息是一个不受欢迎的提醒，表明该行尚未摆脱遗留问题。“他们刚刚砍掉了两个胳膊和一条腿，可还是有人要惩罚他们，”一位相关的人士表示。
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.
据了解调查情况的人士透露，迄今已有12人要么在被告知法律权利的情况下接受SFO讯问，要么已接到讯问通知。除了戴蒙德和韦骏贤这两名巴克莱前掌门人以外，这些人包括该行前税务咨询部门负责人罗杰•詹金斯(Roger Jenkins)和前财务总监克里斯•卢卡斯(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.
在告知法律权利的情况下进行讯问暗示，SFO相信自己可能有合理理由怀疑相关个人已触犯法律。此类讯问开始之前必须发出这样的警告：“你可以不说话。但如果你在被问到某件事的时候不表态，而你日后在法庭上会依据这件事进行辩护，那可能不利于你的辩护。”此类讯问不需要逮捕，而是可以预约安排，巴克莱调查中就是这么做的。熟悉调查进展的人士告诉英国《金融时报》，詹金斯在复活节之前接受了讯问，卢卡斯预计将在未来几周内接受讯问，而戴蒙德和韦骏贤尚未约定讯问日期。在进行这些讯问之前，不会做出控罪决定。
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.
对该行来说，SFO调查的最大风险是，当局根据英国旧的反腐法律（该法现已被2011年英国《反贿赂法》(2011 Bribery Act)取代）提起针对企业的公诉。根据旧法，SFO必须证明相关企业的某个所谓“主使”了解并下令行贿。
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.
这家英国金融监管机构已表示，它打算施以5000万英镑罚款（巴克莱正在抗辩这一罚款提议），理由是巴克莱未能披露其向卡塔尔投资者支付了3.22亿英镑的费用。这使该行在2008年支付给这个海湾国家投资者的公开费用及佣金总和达到4.5亿英镑，超过投资资本的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、巴克莱和詹金斯均拒绝置评。卢卡斯和韦骏贤的律师拒绝置评。卡塔尔控股(Qatar Holding)的一名律师没有回应置评请求。戴蒙德的一名发言人表示：“戴蒙德先生将继续就任何与巴克莱相关的事务尽力给予协助，但他无法就任何具体调查发表评论。”戴蒙德否认有任何不当行为。
Additional reporting by Daniel Schäfer in London
丹尼尔•谢弗(Daniel Schäfer)伦敦补充报道