Whistleblower JPMorgan can’t be a witness in a criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement that has ensnared several investment banks and top executives and claim privilege over witness statements relevant to the case, a court has heard.
Global investment banks and executives accused of engaging in criminal cartel conduct in relation to a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement in 2015 will seek to quash the “incomprehensible” indictment filed against them, claiming it is full of “fallacies”.
Forty-four charges have been outlined in a long-awaited indictment in a criminal cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement, including 29 charges against top executives from ANZ, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup.
While a Federal Court judge recently promised to advance a long-running criminal cartel case against several investment banks and individuals over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement, a separate judge will soon hear a privilege dispute over documents from whistleblower JPMorgan that promises to further delay the case.
The Federal Court judge who is now overseeing a high stakes criminal cartel case against several investment banks and individuals over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement has ordered that an indictment be filed by February 1, telling the parties “we have to get this case moving” and that he hoped to move the matter to trial “before we all retire”.
Three banks have been committed to stand trial after pleading not guilty to criminal charges stemming from an alleged cartel agreement reached in a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement, with the closely watched case now moving to the Federal Court two-and-a-half years after it was filed.
A local court magistrate overseeing the ANZ criminal cartel case has denied a bid by prosecutors to be given twice the length of time typically allotted to parties for case conference discussions, saying the sooner the proceedings can be transferred to the Federal Court the better.
A senior officer from the ACCC has rejected claims that the regulator took legal advice from immunity applicant JPMorgan before launching its high profile criminal cartel case against ANZ, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank.
A former high-ranking Deutsche Bank executive charged with involvement in an alleged cartel agreement relating to a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement claims he was dragged into the case becaused of the “incredibly slapdash” methods of the ACCC.
ANZ Banking Group has slammed a decision by the ACCC to escalate concerns that one of its key cartel witnesses was not being “full and frank”, claiming this was a way to put pressure on the witness and bring his evidence into line.