Nýtt bréf til Breska Fjármálaeftirlitisins

Freedom of Information - Right to Know

Fridrik Thor Gudmundsson

free-lance journalist

Midstraeti 8A

101-Reykjavik

Iceland

 

Iceland March 6, 2009.

 

To: FSA Information Access Team

c/o Mrs. Sandra Colllins or her representative.

 

Dear Mrs. Collins.

 

I refer to my earlier FOI Query, your ref. FOI1152. This is a follow-up query with ongoing reference to the Freedom of Information Act of 2000.

 

There has been a heated public discussion in Iceland as to the content of the FSA answer to my earlier query. In this discussion allegations have been made that my query was not clear or specific enough and that the FSA had indulged in "beating around the bush" and not giving a fair answer. I find these proclamations unfair but feel it necessary to make things clear and therefor send you these FOI follow-up questions. In light of the aforementioned heated discussion I ask of you to speed up your answers as much as possible.

 

My follow-up questions, with FOI reference, are the following:

 

1. Please confirm or deny that ANY discussions and/or negotiations went on between either or both FSA and Icelandic Counterpart FME and/or FSA and Landsbanki (under former ownership), via actual meetings, via telephone, via email or in any other manner, on sunday October 6th 2008 and in the week prior to that (including the Saturday), on either or both subjects:

   a) Fast-tracking Landsbanki status as branch/fast-tracking Icesave into UK guarantee-jurisdiction (meaning such a change in 5 working days or about), against a GBP 200 Million transfer into the relevant Deposit Insurance Fund and/or

   b) Fast-tracking Landsbanki status as branch/fast-tracking Icesave into UK guarantee-jurisdiction (meaning such a change in 5 working days or about), against a GBP 200 Million transfer into the Landsbanki in UK as liquidity funds against the potential further outflows of customer deposits.

 

2. Landsbanki former owners/CEO´s have produced (to one Media in Iceland, see: http://visir.is/article/20090304/VIDSKIPTI06/83079011) an email from Landsbanki to FSA (see attachment "Landsbanki email"), dated October 6, time: 01:45 Icelandic time, subject: "Transfer of GBP". In this email (with names being blocked) a Landsbanki staff-member seems to be referring the FSA to a GBP 200 Million transfer into Landsbanki Branch the morning after "to meet potential further Icesave outflows", plus further GBP 53 Million into Heritable bank by the end of the day after. This email mentions earlier discussions on these matters, with the recieving person (name blocked) and Mr. Hector Sants.

   a) Please confirm or deny that the FSA did get and knows of this particular email.

   b) Please explain the reason for this email being sent to the FSA, providing me with emails from the FSA to Landsbanki that have the same reference subject, in the working week and week-end prior to getting the aforementioned email from Landsbanki, as well as providing me with email responses of FSA to Landsbanki because of the aforementioned email.

   c) Please explain to me your earlier answer to my FOI query, stating no paper or electronic records found, in light of this Landsbanki email.

 

3. Please confirm or deny the status of any discussions, negotiations, understanding or agreement concerning the above as FORMAL AND BINDING and/or INFORMAL AND NOT BINDING.

 

Please confirm forthwith that FSA has recieved this FOI query.

Please answer ASAP in light of heated discussions with accusations that your FOI1152 answer was inaccurate and beating around the bush.

 

With kindest regards,

Fridrik Thor Gudmundsson (sign)

free-lance journalist, Iceland

tel: [phone] or [phone]

Athugasemdir

[Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson, 6.3.2009 kl. 12:29]

Hef fengið í tölvupósti eftrfarandi tölvupóst (sleppi nafni sendanda):

"Sæll Friðrik,

Ég vil benda á eina stóra rökvillu hjá stjórnendum Landsbankans. Ég sá að

fyrrum stjórnendur Landsbankans sendu frá að þar sem Seðlabankinn hafi ekki

lánað Landsbankanum GBP 200 milljónir sirka 6. Október s.l. hafi ekkert

orðið af svo kallaðri flýtimeðferðinni og því hafi Icesave í UK ekki komist

undir Breska lögsögu. Áður hafði Björgólfur Thor látið hafa eftir sér að

flýtimeðferðinn tæki 5 daga sem er gríðarlega langur tími í þeirri

atburðarás sem þegar var hafin og ljóst að þetta hefði aldrei gengið upp..



Þann 6. Október var svo mikið af úttektum í Icesave að þeir lokuðu

netbankanum og sögðu að um viðhald væri að ræða. Það þýðir að þeir sem áttu

peninga þar inni voru orðnir örvæntingafullir að ná peningum út. Þó svo að

Landsbankinn hefði fengið GBP 200 milljónir þennan dag hefði því ekki breytt

neinu þar sem það hefði bara verið dropi í hafið, Landsbankinn hefði þurft

að geta fjármagnað allar úttektir næstu 5 daga sem þeir hefðu aldrei getað

gert. Forsendur fyrir flýtimeðferð hljóta að hafa verið brostnar þegar þarna

var komið sögu þar sem aðstæður voru orðnar óviðráðanlegar.



Það væri kannski þess virði að Kastljós myndi fara yfir þessa atburðarás og

fá stjórnendur Landsbankans til að færa rök fyrir því hvernig þær ætluðu sér

að fjármagna úttektir af netreikningum. Til að átta sig á tölunum væri

frábært ef þeir gæfu upp hve mikið var tekið út síðustu 2-3 klukkustundirnar

áður en netbankanum var lokað".

[Friðrik Þór Guðmundsson, 10.3.2009 kl. 12:58]

10. mars:

Freedom of Information - Right to Know

Dear Mr Gudmundsson

Freedom of Information: Right to know request

Thank you for your request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).

Your request was received on 6 March 2009 and will be processed in accordance with the Act.

There may be a fee payable for the information you have requested.  If that is the case, you will be informed of the likely charges before we proceed.  The fee must be paid before the information is released.

If you have any queries please contact me.

Yours sincerely

Sandra Collins (Mrs)
Information Access Team
Financial Services Authority