UK regulator probes Barclays over anti-money laundering systems

BRITAIN’S financial regulator is investigating Barclays for suspected failings in its compliance and anti-money laundering systems, the Financial Times reported on Friday (Feb 10).

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) requested an independent review of Barclay’s systems last year after noting the number of anti-money laundering incidents, the newspaper reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The FCA wrote to the heads of Barclay’s corporate banking and UK retail and wealth divisions requesting a “skilled persons review”, or Section 166, the newspaper said.

Section 166 usually involves hiring an independent firm that produces reports with recommendations for improvement.

The FCA declined to comment, while Barclays did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Last year, the Payment Systems Regulator fined Barclays £8.4 million (S$13.5 million) for not giving retailers full information about payment card costs. REUTERS