*This is an unofficial translation of the original Japanese press release and is provided just for your reference.
December 9, 2011
Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission
Pursuant to Article 20, paragraph 1 of the Act for Establishment of the Financial Services Agency (FSA), today, on December 9, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission issued a recommendation that the Prime Minister and the Commissioner of the FSA take administrative action and any other appropriate measures against UBS Securities Japan Ltd.* (hereinafter referred to as the “Company”). This recommendation is based on the findings of an inspection, whereby the following breach of laws and regulations by the Company was identified.
| *Location | Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo | |
| Representative in Japan | Mr. Toshiharu Kojima | |
| Capital | 60,000 million JPY | |
| Number of officers and employees | 822 | |
| Registration types | Type I Financial Instruments Business Operator Type II Financial Instruments Business Operator |
Inappropriate actions related to Euroyen TIBOR (hereinafter referred to as “TIBOR”)
A yen rates trader at the Rates Department of the Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities Division in the Company (at that time; hereinafter referred to as “Trader A”) had continuously conducted approaches such as requesting a person in charge of submitting the TIBOR rates of UBS AG, Tokyo Branch (hereinafter referred to as “Submitting Personnel”) to change its rates since around March 2007 at the latest, and also had continuously conducted approaches such as requesting persons in charge of submitting the TIBOR rates of other banks (hereinafter, including Submitting Personnel, referred to as “Submitting Personnel, etc.”) since around February 2007 at the latest, for the purpose of fluctuating TIBOR so as to give advantages to the Derivative Transactions related to yen rates which Trader A was conducting.
The actions conducted by Trader A are acknowledged to be seriously unjust and malicious, and could undermine the fairness of the markets, considering that three-month TIBOR is the underlying asset of Three-month Euroyen Futures listed on Tokyo Financial Exchange Inc., Trader A conducted transactions of Three-month Euroyen Futures on Tokyo Financial Exchange Inc., and TIBOR is a significantly important financial index as a basic interest rate when banks raise or lend money. Therefore, the aforementioned actions conducted by Trader A are acknowledged to have a serious problem from the viewpoints of the public interest and protection of investors.
Furthermore, Trader A had also continuously conducted inappropriate approaches such as requesting to change the Yen-LIBOR rates that UBS group submitted, since around June 2007 at the latest.
The Company's internal control system is also acknowledged to have a serious problem, since the approaches have been overlooked for long periods and no appropriate measures have been taken.
As mentioned above, i) Trader A is acknowledged to conduct approaches against Submitting Personnel, etc. for Market Derivatives Transactions, which he was conducting under the Company's proprietary trading legally defined as Financial Instruments Business, ii) the actions are acknowledged to be unjust and malicious, from the viewpoints of the public interest and protection of investors, and could undermine the fairness of the markets, iii) Trader A conducted approaches regarding not only TIBOR but also Yen-LIBOR, and iv) the Company's internal control system is acknowledged to have a serious problem. Therefore, the Company's actions are acknowledged to fall under Article 52, paragraph 1 (ix) of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, which stipulates “when a wrongful act or extremely unjust act has been conducted with regard to Financial Instruments Business, and when the circumstances are especially serious”.