ANZ has rejected allegations by the financial regulator that $35 million in fees charged to customers for periodical payments between accounts was unlawful, saying the regulator’s case extended the scope of false and misleading representation claims.
An investigation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has come under fire by the banks and directors targeted in a criminal case over alleged cartel conduct that claim the regulator “contaminated” key evidence and improperly used material supplied by ASIC.
Lawyers for former Citigroup executive Stephen Roberts have complained that prosecutors have failed to provide a “shred of material” to explain his alleged involvement in a criminal cartel relating to ANZ’s $2.5 billion capital raising, as the defendants fight to grill Crown witnesses before trial.
A judge has refused an application to suppress the identity of a franchisee giving evidence in two class actions against 7-Eleven despite the individual’s fears he may lose his franchising licence as retaliation by the global convenience store giant.
The Federal Court’s top judge has urged ASIC and ANZ to continue their “litigation good faith” in the corporate cop’s action over $35 million in allegedly illegal customer fees charged by the bank, and cautioned the two sides against slogging it out with a “staged trench warfare” mentality.
Insurance company Allianz Australia will need set aside an extra $250 million in capital until it strengthens its risk management, making it the fifth financial institution to be slapped with additional requirements by the prudential regulator.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is planning to sue ANZ over $35 million in allegedly illegal customer fees, which were also at the centre of two class actions settlements reached last year under which customers are expected to walk away with no more than $100 apiece.
The corporate watchdog has warned “robust” enforcement action is on the cards for banks and lenders, after a review found consumer credit insurance policies to be “extremely poor value for money”, paying out as little as 11 cents per dollar spent in premiums on average.
Prosecutors will oppose a bid by ANZ, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank to cross-examine witnesses at the upcoming committal hearing of the criminal cartel case over ANZ’s botched $2.5 billion institutional share placement.
A judge has dismissed failed winemaker David James latest bid to overturn a $14 million guarantor judgment against him and in favour of ANZ, saying much of his sworn evidence was “manufactured” and “obviously tailored to suit his case”.