Barclays boss probed over whistle blower

You're referring to the recent news about Jes Staley, the former CEO of Barclays, being investigated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) over his handling of a whistleblower complaint.

In 2016, a whistleblower raised concerns about the identity of a former colleague who had been hired by Barclays, despite having a criminal record. Staley, who was the CEO of Barclays at the time, allegedly tried to identify the whistleblower and even went so far as to send a team of investigators to the whistleblower's home to try to uncover their identity.

The FCA and PRA are investigating whether Staley's actions were in breach of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Banking Reform Act 2013, which require senior managers to take reasonable steps to prevent financial crime and to protect whistleblowers.

Staley has denied any wrongdoing and has said that he was simply trying to investigate the allegations made by the whistleblower. However, the investigation is ongoing, and it's possible that Staley could face disciplinary action or even criminal charges if the authorities find that he breached the law.

This case highlights the importance of protecting whistleblowers and the need for senior managers to take allegations of wrongdoing seriously. It also underscores the need for robust whistleblower protection policies and procedures to be in place in financial institutions to ensure that employees feel comfortable coming forward with concerns without fear of retaliation.