Barclays bosses pressured by #Qatar to mask Gulf state PM’s holding, court told | UK news | The Guardian

Barclays bosses pressured by Qatar to mask Gulf state PM’s holding, court told | UK news | The Guardian:

Barclays bosses were put under pressure by Qatari officials to mask the Gulf state prime minister’s holding in the UK bank as it rushed to close a multibillion-pound rescue package that would help the bank avoid a government bailout, a court has heard.

Prosecutors for the Serious Fraud Office presented internal emails and phone calls to a jury at Southwark crown court on Monday, detailing discussions on how the bank might disclose Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani’s planned stake in the bank via his British Virgin Islands-based investment vehicle, Challenger.

The court heard Hamad was first involved in fundraising discussions with Barclays through his role as chairman of Qatar Holding, which would end up being a key investor in the bank’s 2008 capital raising.