Inquiry Raises New Questions on French Bank

Inquiry Raises New Questions on French Bank

ソシエテ・ジェネラル銀行の不正取引事件で、架空取引は銀行の説明していた時期より以前からやっていたと元トレーダーが供述しているという記事。

検事によると、リスク管理部門からトレーディング部門へ移った直後の２００５年に最初の架空取引を行ったと問題のトレーダーは供述しているとのことです。２００５年末から２００６年、２００７年にわたって、投機的な持ち高を徐々に積み上げていったそうです。

In a detailed, hourlong briefing, Mr. Marin portrayed Mr. Kerviel as an earnest, if somewhat naïve “boy” who had told police that he had concealed his trades because he wanted to enhance his reputation as a trader and earn bonuses — not out of any desire to hurt the bank.

He said Mr. Kerviel claimed to have made his first fictitious transactions at Société Générale in late 2005, shortly after moving to the bank’s trading desk from a previous job in the risk-management department.

These initial fake trades “were certainly not of the same size of those at the start of 2008,” Mr. Marin said. “But through the end of 2005 and over the course of 2006 and 2007, he little by little took positions that were purely speculative.”

“This was not a new activity for him,” Mr. Marin said.

２００７年の決算はともかく、２００５年と２００６年の決算では、内部的なチェックや会計監査でなぜ発見できなかったのでしょうか。

また、他のトレーダーも限度額を超えて取引を行うことが珍しくなかったとも供述しているようです。記事では、それが本当なら、リスクマネジメントの質に関する新たな問題を提起するものだといっています。

Meanwhile, Mr. Marin said Mr. Kerviel also asserted that it was not uncommon for other colleagues in his department to exceed their relatively low trading limits, though he stopped short of saying others engaged in fictitious dealings.

Laura Schalk, a Société Générale spokeswoman, declined to comment on the assertions attributed to Mr. Kerviel, which, if true, raise additional questions about the quality of the bank’s risk-management controls.

銀行のプレスリリース（１月２７日）（ＰＤＦファイル）