RBS Securities’ Japan Unit to Pay $50M Criminal Fine Over Libor Manipulation

A US judge has ordered Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc’s (RBS) banking unit in Japan to pay a $50 million fine over its involvement in manipulating LIBOR. RBS Securities Japan Ltd. entered a guilty plea to wire fraud as part of its parent company’s $612 million securities settlements to resolve civil and criminal charges over the rate manipulation.

On December 31, RBS Securities Japan and the US government turned in a joint court filing stating that from at least between 2006 and 2010 some of the bank’s traders tried to move Libor in a manner that would benefit their positions. The attempted manipulation of over a hundred Yen Libor submissions was reportedly involved.

Authorities say that as a result traders profited at counterparties’ expense. The filing noted that investigations uncovered wrongful behavior involving Libor submission for the yen and another currency and that about 20 RBS traders, including four at the RBS unit in Japan were involved.

Breaking down the $612 million total that RBS and RBS Securities Japan are paying to resolve these Libor claims: $325 million is from a Commodity Futures Trading Commission action, $137 million is from a U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) action. Aside from the $50 million that the RBS unit in Japan is also paying, $100M is from RBS plc.

LIBOR
LIBOR is the main benchmark for short-term interest rates around the world. It is the reference rate for a lot of interest rate contracts, credit cards, mortgages, student loans, and other lending products for consumers. Other banks have already paid fines for also allegedly manipulating LIBOR, including Deutsche Bank (DB), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Citigroup (C), and others. Traders at these banks are accused of manipulating LIBOR to their benefit, while making themselves appear more liquid and financially healthier than what was actual. Meantime, other parties sustained losses as a result.

RBS Securities Japan Ltd Sentenced for Manipulation of Yen Libor, US DOJ, January 6, 2014

U.S. judge orders RBS unit in Japan to pay $50 million over Libor, Reuters, January 6, 2014

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