MUFG says FX fine stems from law infringement by ex-employee at London branch

Maria Nikolova

MUFG has confirmed the receipt of a decision from the European Commission requiring MUFG Bank to pay €69.75 million.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (TYO:8306) and its subsidiary MUFG Bank, Ltd. today confirmed the receipt of a decision from the European Commission requiring MUFG Bank to pay €69.75 million.

In its announcement, MUFG explains that the penalty is due to the infringement of European Union competition law by a forex trader formerly employed at MUFG Bank’s London Branch in 2010 and 2011.

MUFG Bank says it takes this issue very seriously. The bank notes it has cooperated fully with the ensuing investigation by the European Commission and has engaged in the settlement procedure. Furthermore, the bank has completed a review of its internal procedures and has bolstered its monitoring framework to prevent the occurrence of similar issues in the future.

In two settlement decisions announced today, the European Commission has fined five banks for taking part in two cartels in the Spot Foreign Exchange market for 11 currencies – Euro, British Pound, Japanese Yen, Swiss Franc, US, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian Dollars, and Danish, Swedish and Norwegian crowns.

The Commission’s investigation has shown that some individual traders in charge of Forex spot trading of these currencies on behalf of the relevant banks exchanged sensitive information and trading plans, and occasionally coordinated their trading strategies through various online professional chatrooms.

The second decision (so-called “Forex-Essex Express” cartel) imposes a total fine of €257.7 million on Barclays, RBS and MUFG Bank. The Essex Express infringement encompasses communications in two chatrooms (“Essex Express ‘n the Jimmy” and “Semi Grumpy Old men”) among traders from UBS, Barclays, RBS and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (now MUFG Bank). The infringement started on 14 December 2009 and ended on 31 July 2012.

Read this next

Market News

USDJPY has surged to levels last witnessed in 2022. Should we consider opening a short position?

The recent resurgence of the US dollar has propelled USD/JPY to new heights, touching levels not seen since 2022. This surge comes against the backdrop of stable short-term yields and ongoing economic data that fails to signal a significant slowdown, prompting questions about the extent of current monetary easing measures.

Digital Assets

DED Trends on Twitter After Memecoin Snapshot Announcement

Polkadot-backed community coin #DED, made it to the trending charts on X, demonstrating community’s engagement and interest behind the memecoin. 

Digital Assets

BlockDAG Presale Nears $10 Million Amid Toncoin’s Momentum, Green Bitcoin’s Presale, and the Rise of Other Top Cryptos

This article will examine three top trending topics: Toncoin’s potential, Green Bitcoin’s innovative presale, and BlockDAG’s sustainable mining approach. These cryptocurrencies take centre stage for their uniqueness and innovation.

Digital Assets

Coinbase scores minor victory vs SEC, but lawsuit to proceed

A federal judge in Manhattan, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla, ruled on Wednesday that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) lawsuit against Coinbase can largely proceed.

Web3

COTI Teams Up with Civic for Enhanced Digital Identity Control

СOTI and Civic are teaming up to enhance digital identity security in Web3, aiming to provide users with more control over their digital selves through innovative technology.

Digital Assets

BlockDAG Takes on Chainlink (LINK) Crypto, and RON With DeFi Card and 5000x Profit Potential

Explore BlockDAG’s innovative DeFi card, which transforms cryptocurrency into spendable cash, alongside Chainlink (LINK) crypto and Ronin’s advancements.

Digital Assets

Court finally decides on Sam Bankman-Fried sentence, experts predict 20 years

Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is set to face sentencing on Thursday in a pivotal moment that could see the entrepreneur beginning a lengthy period in federal prison.

Crypto Insider

DeFi Winter Thaws: A Look at the Emerging Landscape

The past year has seen a significant shift in the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) market, transitioning from a period of decline (“DeFi winter”) to a potential season of growth.

Digital Assets

KuCoin announces $10 million airdrop as users withdraw $1.2 billion

KuCoin – the fourth-largest crypto exchange in the world by trading volume – today announced plans to distribute $10 million worth of Bitcoin and its native KCS token via an airdrop event.

<