U.S. pushing criminal charges for Royal Bank of Scotland in Libor manipulation investigation

Authorities in the United States are seeking guilty pleas to criminal charges against The Royal Bank of Scotland in addition to paying a $790 million penalty for manipulation of the Libor, according to The Wall Street Journal. RBS executives are reluctant, fearing that lead clients could stop dealing with the bank and also that the move could increase exposure to private litigation. Two other banks have settled charges including Barclays and UBS AG which last year paid $2 billion. Libor,the London Interbank Offered Rate Benchmark is supposed to measure the interest rates at which banks borrow from each other. It is based on data reported daily by a 16-bank panel. More than $800 trillion in securities and loans are are linked to the Libor. Small inaccuracies affect investment returns and borrowing costs. Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.