An ACCC investigator has come under fire from ANZ as the bank seeks to shoot holes in the criminal cartel action against it, with counsel for the bank accusing the regulator of “infecting” witness statements and erasing testimony that weakened its case.
A key officer from the ACCC involved in interviewing JPMorgan bankers during a cartel investigation that led to criminal charges against ANZ and two investment banks has denied allegations that he acted improperly during the investigation.
ANZ has won access to documents the bank claims are crucial to its defence in a high stakes criminal cartel case, but the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has flagged a possible appeal of the ruling.
A class action brought against 7-Eleven claims the convenience store chain ordered franchisees to purchase goods from supplier C-Store so that 7-Eleven could meet its obligation under a contract with the Metcash-owned supplier.
A sideshow evidentiary dispute in a committal hearing in a landmark criminal cartel case against ANZ and two investment banks has drawn to a close, but not before testing the patience of a magistrate, who warned her ruling would be far from a “Rolls Royce decision”.
JPMorgan has taken ANZ to task for its “heroic endeavours to create an air of suspicion” around the conduct of ASIC and the ACCC prior to the filing of a landmark criminal cartel case, slamming the allegations as purely speculative.
ANZ is seeking information on whether the ACCC put pressure on ASIC to not pursue proceedings against JP Morgan over a $2.5 billion share placement that is at the centre of a closely watched criminal cartel case, saying the matter raised a “serious question” about potential abuse of power by the regulators.
A year after Commissioner Kenneth Hayne released his scathing report, companies in the financial services sector are still facing fresh class actions over conduct aired at the banking royal commission, and the pace has even picked up in recent months.
The lead applicant in a class action against 7-Eleven has appealed a ruling that denied its bid to block the convenience store chain from seeking litigation releases from franchisees upon renewal of their contracts.
A magistrate has dismissed a bid to expand the cross examination of a JPMorgan witness in the closely watched criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement, calling it a “back door” attempt to bypass a prior court ruling.