Disgruntled investors in a collapsed Jersey-based split capital investment
trust are still waiting to find out whether the Island's regulator intends to
launch a formal investigation, according to the Jersey Evening Post on Wednesday.
Following the winding up of the Leveraged Income Fund Ltd, the Jersey Financial
Services Commission pledged to look into split caps. However, JFSC director,
Richard Pratt revealed last week that the regulator was 'still considering'
whether mis-selling of the risky fund type had taken place.
Speaking to the JEP on condition of anonymity this week, one outraged investor
asked:
'What is our local regulator doing? Why is Aberdeen [Asset Managers Ltd, which
managed the collapsed fund] still allowed to carry on looking after millions
of pounds of other people's money? Surely the reason the Commission exists is
to make sure businesses are squeaky clean, yet they seem to be doing nothing
about this. It's doing the Island's reputation no good at all. People have lost
millions.'
The UK's financial services regulator, the FSA also recently came under fire
for being 'asleep on the job' when the magic circle of split capital investment
trusts, all heavily invested in each other, began to crumble.
However, according to the Jersey Evening Post, Mr Pratt has hit back at accusations
of inactivity on this issue, arguing that the actual cross-selling would have
taken place in London, not Jersey, and that therefore allegations that the investments
were mis-sold to Jersey investors are the JFSC's number one priority.
'We are pursuing the matter vigorously,' he explained. 'A lot of investors
lost money but that does not mean that someone has done something wrong. That
could be the case, and if so we might be pursuing regulatory sanctions. But
it would not be right to take action in anticipation.'