Banking Act 2009

[F1 Conduct of investigations U.K.

Textual Amendments

F1 Pt. 1 Ch. 4 inserted (1.1.2015) by The Bank Recovery and Resolution Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3329), arts. 1(2), 97

83ZF. Investigations: general U.K.

(1) This section applies if the Bank of England appoints one or more competent persons (“investigators“) under section 83ZC or 83ZD to conduct an investigation on its behalf.

(2) The Bank must give written notice of the appointment of an investigator to the person who is the subject of the investigation (“the person under investigation”).

(3) A notice under subsection (2) must—

(a) specify the provisions under which, and as a result of which, the investigator was appointed, and

(b) state the reason for the investigator’s appointment.

(4) Nothing prevents the Bank from appointing a person who is a member of its staff as an investigator.

(5) An investigator must make a report of the investigation to the Bank.

(6) The Bank may, by a direction to an investigator, control—

(a) the scope of the investigation,

(b) the period during which the investigation is to be conducted,

(c) the conduct of the investigation, and

(d) the reporting of the investigation.

(7) A direction may, in particular—

(a) confine the investigation to particular matters;

(b) extend the investigation to additional matters;

(c) require the investigator to discontinue the investigation or to take only such steps as are specified in the direction;

(d) require the investigator to make such interim reports as are so specified.

(8) If there is a change in the scope or conduct of the investigation and, in the opinion of the Bank, the person under investigation is likely to be significantly prejudiced by not being made aware of it, that person must be given written notice of the change.

(9) If the appointment is under section 83ZD, subsections (2) and (8) do not apply if the Bank believes that the notice required by the subsection in question would be likely to result in the investigation being frustrated.

83ZG. Powers of persons appointed under section 83ZC U.K.

(1) This section applies to an investigator appointed under section 83ZC to conduct an investigation on behalf of the Bank of England.

(2) The investigator may require the person who is the subject of the investigation (“the person under investigation“) or any person connected with the person under investigation—

(a) to attend before the investigator at a specified time and place and answer questions, or

(b) otherwise to provide such information as the investigator may require for the purposes of the investigation.

(3) The investigator may also require any person to produce at a specified time and place any specified documents or documents of a specified description.

(4) A requirement under subsection (2) or (3) may be imposed only so far as the investigator reasonably considers the question, provision of information or production of the document to be relevant to the purposes of the investigation.

(5) For the purposes of this section, a person (“B”) is connected with the person under investigation (“A”) if B is or has at any relevant time been—

(a) a member of A’s group;

(b) a controller of A;

(c) a partnership of which A is a member; or

(d) in relation to A, a person mentioned in Part 1 or 2 of Schedule 15 to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (reading references in those Parts to the authorised person or the person under investigation as references to A).

(6) In this section—

• “controller” has the same meaning as in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (see section 422),

• “group” has the meaning given by section 3(2)(b), and

• “specified” means specified in a notice in writing.

83ZH. Powers of persons appointed as a result of section 83ZD U.K.

(1) This section applies to an investigator appointed under section 83ZD to conduct an investigation on behalf of the Bank of England.

(2) The investigator has—

(a) the powers conferred by section 83ZG on an investigator appointed under section 83ZC, and

(b) the powers conferred by subsections (3) and (4).

(3) The investigator may require the person who is the subject of the investigation (“the person under investigation“) to give the investigator all assistance in connection with the investigation which that person is reasonably able to give.

(4) The investigator may require a person who is neither the person under investigation nor a person connected with the person under investigation—

(a) to attend before the investigator at a specified time and place and answer questions, or

(b) otherwise to provide such information as the investigator may require for the purposes of the investigation.

(5) A requirement may only be imposed under subsection (4) if the investigator is satisfied that the requirement is necessary or expedient for the purposes of the investigation.

(6) Section 83ZG(5) and (6) applies for the purposes of this section.

83ZI. Admissibility of statements made to investigators U.K.

(1) A statement made to an investigator appointed under section 83ZC or 83ZD by a person in compliance with an information requirement is admissible in evidence in any proceedings, so long as it also complies with any requirements governing the admissibility of evidence in the circumstances in question.

(2) But in criminal proceedings in which that person is charged with an offence to which this subsection applies—

(a) no evidence relating to the statement may be adduced, and

(b) no question relating to it may be asked,

by or on behalf of the prosecution, the PRA or the FCA (as the case may be), unless evidence relating to it is adduced, or a question relating to it is asked, in the proceedings by or on behalf of that person.

(3) Subsection (2) applies to any offence other than one under—

(a) section 83ZN(4),

(b) section 398 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (misleading FCA or PRA: residual cases),

(c) section 5 of the Perjury Act 1911 (false statements made otherwise than on oath),

(d) section 44(2) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 (false statements made otherwise than on oath), or

(e) Article 10 of the Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979.

(4) “Information requirement” means a requirement imposed by an investigator under section 83ZG, 83ZH or 83ZJ.]