Whistleblower News From The Inside — June 16, 2017

Former Swiss banker pleads guilty to money laundering soccer scheme — A private banker formerly employed by several Swiss banks pleaded guilty in Brooklyn, New York, to a criminal information charging him with participating in a money laundering conspiracy in connection with the distribution and receipt of millions of dollars of bribes paid to high-ranking soccer officials. DOJ

Barclays hirings under US scrutiny — The US DOJ is scrutinizing whether Barclays breached antitrust laws by promising to stop poaching JPMorgan Chase bankers, in another blow for the British lender’s chief executive, Jes Staley. The DOJ asked Barclays for more information on discussions between its top brass and senior JPMorgan executives following a string of high-level departures from the US bank to its British rival. The hiring spree followed the appointment of Mr Staley, himself an alumnus of the Wall Street bank, as Barclays’ chief executive in December 2015. FT

Russian whistleblower tests found no toxins’ — Alexander Perepilichnyy was allegedly killed in Surrey in 2012 after helping a specialist investment firm uncover a $230m Russian money laundering operation. An expert allegedly found a suspect compound that could have matched the properties of a plant poison. Reviewing those findings, Dr. Fiona Perry found caffeine and alcohol but could not say if he was poisoned. Dr. Perry said: “I can say that none of the substances covered by our tests were detected apart from caffeine and low levels of alcohol. But I cannot say whether or not he was poisoned. I do not give a cause of death. I only do a test for various substances.” BBC