French bank Natixis under investigation over disclosures made in 2007
French authorities are formally investigating lender Natixis in relation to statements it made in the run-up to the start of the financial crisis.
"Natixis announces that it has today been placed under formal investigation in France, in the context of a magistrate led investigation process opened in 2010 relating to two announcements released in the second half of 2007, at the start of the subprime crisis," the bank said in a statement this morning.
The bank was born out of a merger of the investment banking arm of Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne.
The statement continued: "As for all banks concerned, this crisis was an unprecedented situation for Natixis, and it could not have predicted at the time the full extent, or consequences, of the crisis," the company said in a statement.
"Natixis considers that it provided to the public, in good faith, the information available to it about its exposure, and as and when any underlying risks were identified. In this regard, the investigation only focuses on the information released by Natixis in two announcements in 2007, and does not call into question either prior or subsequent communications.
"From now on Natixis will have access to the file containing the allegations against it, and Natixis therefore intends to help the authorities to have a complete understanding of these events, which took place more than 10 years ago."
[custom id="108"]