阿布扎比投資局指控花旗“欺詐性虛假陳述”

Citigroup's problems mounted yesterday as the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority accused the bank of misleading it over a $7.5bn investment and protests grew over a tax break from the US authorities.

花旗集團(Citigroup)的問題昨日加重。阿布扎比投資局(Abu Dhabi Investment Authority)指控該行誤導其進行了75億美元的投資，圍繞該行得到美國當局稅收減免的抗議也在增多。

The controversy, which saw Citi's shares fall to a four-month low, engulfed the bank as it tried to raise up to $19.6bn in shares to repay $20bn in federal aid and extricate itself from tough government-imposed curbs on pay and operations.

卷入上述爭議令花旗股價下跌至四個月低點，該行正試圖通過股票發(fā)行籌集196億美元的資金，以償還200億美元的聯(lián)邦援助資金，擺脫政府嚴格的薪酬和經(jīng)營管制。

Citi's stock has fallen by 10 per cent since it announced the capital raising on Monday, increasing the risk that the value of existing shares will be diluted heavily by the new issuance. The offering was expected to be priced after the market closed yesterday.

自本周一宣布股權(quán)融資以來，花旗股價已下跌10%，加大了現(xiàn)有股票將因新股發(fā)行而遭到嚴重稀釋的風險。發(fā)行定價預計在昨日收市后進行。

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, filed an arbitration claim against Citi, saying it had been misled when it invested $7.5bn in the bank two years ago.

阿布扎比投資局已提交針對花旗的仲裁請求，表示，它在2年前對該行進行75億美元的投資時受到了誤導。阿布扎比投資局是全球最大的主權(quán)財富基金之一。

The claim by the sovereign wealth fund alleges “fraudulent misrepresentations in connection with the sale and seeks rescission of the investment agreement or damages in excess of $4bn”, Citigroup said in a statement released late on Tuesday. Citi said the allegations were without merit and it intended “to defend against them vigorously”.

花旗集團在周二發(fā)布的一份聲明中表示，該主權(quán)財富基金提交的請求指控，存在“與售股有關(guān)的欺詐性虛假陳述，尋求廢除投資協(xié)議或者超過40億美元的損失賠償金”?；ㄆ毂硎?，這些指控毫無道理，該行有意“為自己進行有力的辯護”。

People close to the matter said Adia's unusual move was driven by the losses it stands to suffer under the original investment and frustration at a lack of contact with top Citi management.

知情人士表示，阿布扎比投資局的不尋常舉動是受到兩方面因素的推動：初始投資使其遭受的損失，以及因與花旗最高管理層缺乏接觸而產(chǎn)生的失望情緒。

Vikram Pandit, Citi's chief executive, has never visited Adia, one of Citi's largest investors, and the last senior manager to do was Sir Win Bischoff, who was ousted as chairman in January, insiders say.

了解內(nèi)幕的人士表示，花旗首席執(zhí)行官潘偉迪(Vikram Pandit)從未訪問過作為該行最大投資者之一的阿布扎比投資局，最后一位訪問那里的高管是溫•比肖夫爵士(Sir Win Bischoff)，他已于今年1月被免去董事長一職。

Adia's holding in Citi is in “equity units” currently paying 11 per cent annual income. They convert into common shares, beginning in March next year through to September 2011, and under the terms of the deal the units will be converted at a price of not less than $31.83 per share. Citi's shares are about a tenth of that price. In early afternoon in New York, the stock was quoted at $3.53 – its lowest point since August.

阿布扎比投資局對花旗的持股以“股權(quán)單位”為形式，目前為其帶來11%的年度收益。從明年3月起至2011年9月，它們將轉(zhuǎn)換為普通股，而根據(jù)交易條款，這些“單位”將以不低于每股31.83 美元的價格進行轉(zhuǎn)換?；ㄆ炷壳暗墓蓛r是這一價格的十分之一左右。紐約市場午盤后不久，該股報價3.53美元，為今年8月以來的最低點。

Adia's move underlines the increasingly strained relationship between sovereign wealth funds and the US banks they supported with billions of dollars in capital. Citi also came under fire over a little-noticed decision by the US tax authorities to allow the bank to keep a $38bn tax break.

阿布扎比投資局的舉動，突顯出主權(quán)財富基金與它們以巨額資金支持的美國各銀行之間的關(guān)系日益緊張?；ㄆ爝€因美國稅收當局做出的一項很少有人注意到的決定而受到批評。美國稅務局允許該行保留380億美元的稅收減免。

英國《金融時報》弗朗西斯科•格雷拉(Francesco Guerrera)、漢妮•桑德爾(Henny Sender)紐約，安德魯•英格蘭(Andrew England)阿布扎比報道

譯者/章晴