Europe

Image: The Financial Conduct Authority released “near final rules” which shows how it will apply the new accountability regimes that hold employees accountable for misconduct in U.K. branches of overseas banks. These rules further explain the FCA’s accountability reform announcement last month that zeroes in on top executives at U.K. banks. Details inside.

Standard Chartered is adding more staff to its financial crimes team, following a probe by U.S. regulators for an alleged breach in sanctions laws that resulted in a $400 million fine in 2012. In its first-half results announced last week, the bank said, “There is a range of potential penalties for sanctions compliance violations, which could ultimately include substantial monetary penalties, additional compliance and remediation requirements, and/or additional business restrictions.” More inside.

Image: Tom Hayes, once a “star trader” at UBS and Citigroup and the first to stand trial in the Libor scandal, has been charged with eight counts of conspiracy to manipulate Libor and will serve 14 years in prison. This case serves as a major turning point for the U.K. Serious Fraud Office as its reputation was at stake for the successful prosecution of Hayes. “The jury were sure that in his admitted manipulation of LIBOR, Hayes was indeed dishonest,” SFO Director David Green said. More inside.

Image: A review by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority found that banks need to take the risks associated with benchmark rates more seriously. FCA believes that financial institutions should learn from the recent scandals that rocked the industry and ensure that such misconduct does not happen again. The watchdog says that bank reforms and benchmarking activities are moving at a glacial pace, which is “disappointing,” said Tracey McDermott, director of supervision, FCA. Details inside.

The movement of executives at top financial institutions is back in the spotlight but this time the action is in Europe. Following the 2008-09 financial crisis banks were losing their chief executives faster than many expected. Now with post-meltdown regulatory reforms in full force, the turnover rate among executives has once again skyrocketed as banks continue to axe top bosses to speed up strategic change. More inside.

The Serious Fraud Office has extended a deferred-prosecution agreement to Barclays to end an investigation into the bank’s alleged role in the £2 billion Qatari 2008 fundraising and other practices that helped the bank weather the financial crisis. British regulators recently gained the power to issue DPAs, and the SFO had considered informing the magistrates’ court that Barclays was not cooperating with regulators. Details inside.

Image: MasterCard is once again in the spotlight, as the European Commission has swooped in on the company’s potential abuse of interchange fees. After a two-year investigation, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said, “MasterCard is artificially raising the costs of card payments, which would harm consumers and retailers in the European Union.” More inside.