John Hughes, Colleague Of UBS 'Rogue Trader,' Manipulated Accounts

'Rogue Trader' Colleague Admits He Was Cooking The Books
File photo dated 15/09/11 a general view of offices of UBS, one of seven banks subpoenaed in the US over possible Libor interest rate manipulation.
File photo dated 15/09/11 a general view of offices of UBS, one of seven banks subpoenaed in the US over possible Libor interest rate manipulation.

LONDON, Sept 27 (Reuters) - A former UBS trader who worked closely with accused fraudster Kweku Adoboli told a London court on Thursday he had manipulated the trading desk's accounts.

John Hughes, who was dismissed from UBS after Adoboli was arrested a year ago in connection with $2.3 billion in losses blamed on unauthorised trades, was giving evidence at Adoboli's criminal trial.

Adoboli's lawyer Charles Sherrard read out a transcript of a chat between the two men, dated Jan. 4, 2011, in which Hughes instructed Adoboli to book some profits made in late 2010 as if they had been made in early 2011.

Sherrard put it to Hughes that the aim of doing this was to make it look as if the desk had already significantly boosted its 2011 profits.

"It was a manipulation of the figures," Sherrard told Hughes, who replied: "Yes."

Hughes has not been charged with anything. Adoboli denies two charges of false accounting and two of fraud by abuse of position.

Before You Go

Barclays Begins Manipulating Libor Rate

Libor Scandal Timeline

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