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Court action against ANZ, ING not worth the extra fine, regulator says

Tuesday 22nd of June 2010

The regulator secured its biggest monetary settlement from ANZ and ING after the country's largest bank approached the commission seeking to settle over the funds, the regulator told reporters in Wellington today. The bank will also pay $1 million in legal costs as part of the final settlement, which is on top of the $500 million it has already available to investors under its compensation offer last year.

The settlement eclipses the 2007 agreement the regulator reached with Midavia Rail and David Richwhite over alleged insider trading of Tranz Rail shares.

Commerce Commission Chairman Mark Berry said the bank and fund manager "understated" the degree of risk in the funds and the regulator initially deemed there was enough evidence to pursue legal proceedings but ultimately decidedly to settle.

Graham Gill, general manager of enforcement, said any extra punitive fine was not worth the wait, and that the elderly age of many investors weighed on the commission's thinking.

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