Barclays in Qatar loan probe

UK authorities are probing an allegation that Barclays loaned Qatar money to invest in the bank as part of its cash call at the height of the financial crisis in 2008, which enabled the bank to avoid a UK government bailout.

While the terms of Barclays' emergency fundraising have been under the scrutiny of the Financial Services Authority and the Serious Fraud Office since the summer - with a particular focus on fees paid for the deal - allegations over a loan to the Qataris is a new thread of the investigation. Two sources familiar with the situation have independently told the Financial Times of the investigation into the alleged loan.

If confirmed, such an arrangement could contravene market regulations if it was not properly disclosed at the time, legal and industry experts warned. "The concept of lending money to any investor to purchase your own shares raises a series of immediate questions about disclosure and other regulatory issues," said Peter Hahn, a former banker at Citi now at Cass Business School.

The revelation is yet another blow for attempts by Antony Jenkins, Barclays' chief executive, to clean up the bank's image that has been tarnished by high-profile scandals ranging from Libor manipulation to the mis-selling of payment protection insurance.

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/47d412ce-6bd1-11e2-a700-00144feab49a.html#axzz2JdTBouuS