阿布扎比投资局指控花旗“欺诈性虚假陈述”

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.

花旗集团(Citigroup)的问题昨日加重。阿布扎比投资局(Abu Dhabi Investment Authority)指控该行误导其进行了75亿美元的投资，围绕该行得到美国当局税收减免的抗议也在增多。

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.

卷入上述争议令花旗股价下跌至四个月低点，该行正试图通过股票发行筹集196亿美元的资金，以偿还200亿美元的联邦援助资金，摆脱政府严格的薪酬和经营管制。

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.

自本周一宣布股权融资以来，花旗股价已下跌10%，加大了现有股票将因新股发行而遭到严重稀释的风险。发行定价预计在昨日收市后进行。

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.

阿布扎比投资局已提交针对花旗的仲裁请求，表示，它在2年前对该行进行75亿美元的投资时受到了误导。阿布扎比投资局是全球最大的主权财富基金之一。

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”.

花旗集团在周二发布的一份声明中表示，该主权财富基金提交的请求指控，存在“与售股有关的欺诈性虚假陈述，寻求废除投资协议或者超过40亿美元的损失赔偿金”。花旗表示，这些指控毫无道理，该行有意“为自己进行有力的辩护”。

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，阿布扎比投资局的不寻常举动是受到两方面因素的推动：初始投资使其遭受的损失，以及因与花旗最高管理层缺乏接触而产生的失望情绪。

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.

了解内幕的人士表示，花旗首席执行官潘伟迪(Vikram Pandit)从未访问过作为该行最大投资者之一的阿布扎比投资局，最后一位访问那里的高管是温•比肖夫爵士(Sir Win Bischoff)，他已于今年1月被免去董事长一职。

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.

阿布扎比投资局对花旗的持股以“股权单位”为形式，目前为其带来11%的年度收益。从明年3月起至2011年9月，它们将转换为普通股，而根据交易条款，这些“单位”将以不低于每股31.83 美元的价格进行转换。花旗目前的股价是这一价格的十分之一左右。纽约市场午盘后不久，该股报价3.53美元，为今年8月以来的最低点。

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.

阿布扎比投资局的举动，突显出主权财富基金与它们以巨额资金支持的美国各银行之间的关系日益紧张。花旗还因美国税收当局做出的一项很少有人注意到的决定而受到批评。美国税务局允许该行保留380亿美元的税收减免。

英国《金融时报》弗朗西斯科•格雷拉(Francesco Guerrera)、汉妮•桑德尔(Henny Sender)纽约，安德鲁•英格兰(Andrew England)阿布扎比报道

译者/章晴