渣打,收起你的錢,我們要的是真相
????渣打銀行(Standard Chartered Bank)被控為伊朗洗錢一案是周三的市場焦點。按計劃,這一天該行高管將與美國紐約州金融局(New York Department of Financial Services)局長本杰明?洛斯基舉行會談。(紐約州金融局于美國東部時間周二晚間發(fā)表聲明稱,渣打銀行已同意支付3.4億美元的罰款,就該行隱瞞與伊朗相關(guān)交易的指控達成和解。美國司法部、財政部、美聯(lián)儲和曼哈頓地區(qū)檢察署等其他四家監(jiān)管部門的渣打洗錢案調(diào)查仍在繼續(xù)?!g注) ????上周,洛斯基單方面發(fā)起了對這家英國銀行的指控,嚴厲斥責(zé)該行與伊朗實體進行交易,肆無忌憚地違反紐約州和聯(lián)邦的銀行業(yè)法規(guī)。 ????洛斯基對渣打銀行發(fā)起的這場來勢洶洶的指控把同樣在調(diào)查渣打洗錢案的美聯(lián)儲、美國財政部和其他監(jiān)管部門甩在了身后。歐洲監(jiān)管部門很快就開始對洛斯基發(fā)出譴責(zé),當(dāng)然它們也對華盛頓的監(jiān)管部門表示了強烈的反感。 ????渣打顯然十分擔(dān)心其在紐約州的銀行業(yè)牌照被吊銷的可能性。因此,協(xié)調(diào)所有監(jiān)管部門協(xié)商一項罰款的可行性看起來正在增加。我對此怎么看? ????戲演到這里就收場吧。 ????我想我要代表英美兩國絕大多數(shù)的民眾告訴渣打:“收起你的錢吧。這次不會有什么罰款。這是一項徹底的獨立調(diào)查,目的就是要找出真相?!?/p> ????如果形勢就此一發(fā)不可收拾,那就不可收拾吧。如果我們發(fā)現(xiàn)渣打沒有逃避美國的銀行業(yè)法規(guī),那自然是好事一樁,渣打也會變得更加強大。但如果我們發(fā)現(xiàn)我們的主要監(jiān)管部門對渣打行動遲緩,不管出于什么原因(或許是為了讓英國監(jiān)管部門給予美國金融機構(gòu)類似的待遇),那就把這些丑事都拿出來曬曬吧。 ????我最不愿看到的就是罰款。還不如對渣打分文不罰,就是別再讓我們再次蒙在鼓里,對真相一無所知。罰款的唯一作用就是掩蓋真相。公眾已經(jīng)被蒙蔽得太久了,看夠了對美聯(lián)銀行(Wachovia)、匯豐銀行(HSBC)、巴克萊銀行(Barclays Bank)、瑞銀(UBS)、高盛(Goldman Sachs)等大型金融公司的罰款。如果一家銀行因為與像伊朗這樣的流氓國家進行交易而被罰款,他們支付的罰款也是滴著血的錢。這樣的罰款不僅不能重樹信心,反而會對公眾的信心造成重創(chuàng),因為真相仍然被掩蓋了。 ????什么能重樹信心呢?真相。如果真相暴露了渣打內(nèi)部的丑惡交易以及監(jiān)管部門監(jiān)督不力,那就暴露吧。這樣的尷尬是有益的,更何況尷尬遠不如重建全球經(jīng)濟信心來得重要。真相的公布就像向我們的肺部注入新鮮空氣,將讓公眾和全球經(jīng)濟恢復(fù)生氣。 ????蒂姆?蓋特納、本?伯南克、默文?金恩和其他監(jiān)管部門的負責(zé)人都應(yīng)該辭職,這么長時間了,早該讓真相大白天下了。 ????會出現(xiàn)這種結(jié)果嗎?我并沒有屏息以待,但我們對監(jiān)管部門、金融機構(gòu)和市場信心的持續(xù)下降,這個代價遠遠高于對渣打或其他銀行開出的罰單。 ????拉里是華爾街資深人士,曾在第一波士頓、貝爾斯登和聯(lián)邦銀行等銀行就職。他的博客地址是www.senseoncents.com。 ????譯者:早稻米 |
????L'affaire Standard Chartered Bank (i.e., Iranian money laundering) takes center stage tomorrow with an expected meeting between senior bank executives and Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services. ????Recall that Lawsky just last week unilaterally castigated the UK-based bank for brazenly and wantonly eviscerating state and federal banking rules against dealing with Iranian entities. ????Lawsky one-upped the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Treasury and other regulators in his aggressive move against Standard Chartered. Regulators across the pond have been quick to condemn Lawsky and have certainly expressed their disgust to their counterparts in Washington. ????Standard Chartered clearly is very concerned about the possibility of having its New York banking license revoked. As such, the likelihood of a negotiated fine coordinated on behalf of all regulatory agencies would seem to be increasing. What do I think of that? ????Stop the music and the drama. ????I think I would speak for an overwhelming majority of the public both here in America and in the UK and tell Standard Chartered: "Keep your money. There will be no fine. What there will be is a thorough independent investigation in pursuit of the truth." ????If it gets ugly, so be it. If we learn that Standard Chartered did not end run our banking rules, then good for them and they will be stronger for it. If we learn that our major regulatory agencies were slow to move against Standard Chartered for whatever reason (perhaps in return for similar treatment by UK regulators in dealings with US-based institutions), let's air that laundry. ????The last thing I want to see is a fine. Better that Standard Chartered pays not a penny than we suffer again from not truly knowing and learning the truth. A fine only serves to suffocate the truth. The public has been suffocated enough by fines against the likes of Wachovia, HSBC, Barclays Bank, UBS, Goldman Sachs and seemingly every other major financial institution. When a bank is merely fined for dealing with a rogue nation such as Iran, that payment is nothing more than blood money. A fine does not rebuild confidence but erodes it dramatically because the public is aware that the truth remains under wraps. ????What rebuilds confidence? The truth. If the truth exposes ugly practices within Standard Chartered and similarly lax oversight from regulators, then so be it. A healthy serving of embarrassment is far less important than a rebuilding of trust and confidence for our global economy. In delivering the truth, the public and our global economy will be reinvigorated by fresh air filling our collective lungs. ????Tim Geithner, Ben Bernanke, Mervyn King and others should all stand down and at long last let the truth stand up. ????Will it happen? I'm not holding my breath — no pun intended — but the continued erosion of trust in our regulators, our financial institutions, and the markets comes with a price far greater than any fine that can be levied against Standard Chartered or any other bank. ????Larry is a Wall Street veteran, having worked at such banks as First Boston, Bear Stearns and Union Bank. He blogs at www.senseoncents.com |