Friday, December 14, 2012

"People don't trade carbon because they are good people" In Germany They Are Arrested

The bit inside the quotation marks is from then-European Climate Exchange CEO Patrick Birley.
From Bloomberg:
Arrested Deutsche Bank Staff to Be in Court: Prosecutor
Four Deutsche Bank AG (DBK) employees arrested on allegations of obstruction of justice and money laundering were ordered to remain in custody while the investigation is pending.

The fifth suspect arrested yesterday was released because of health issues, Guenter Wittig, a spokesman for the Frankfurt General Prosecutor, said by phone today. He declined to explain the court’s ruling or identify any suspects.

The case is part of a criminal probe over tax-evasion allegations linked to the sale of carbon-emission certificates in which prosecutors are investigating a total of 25 people at Deutsche Bank. The lender’s German offices were raided yesterday and Co-Chief Executive Officer Juergen Fitschen and Chief Financial Officer Stefan Krause, who weren’t arrested, are subjects of the probe....MORE 
Mr. Birley's 2009 comment continued:
"Why should it be different as a commodity to the way people trade oil or gas?" 
Compare with The Bored Whore of Kyoto:
"I don't know if climate change is caused by burning coal or sun flares or what," said the Moscow-based carbon cowboy. "And I don't really give a shit. Russia is the most energy inefficient country around, and carbon is the most volatile market ever. There's a lot of opportunity to make money."
Or a Goldman alum:
The whole reason for the existence of traders is to make as much money as possible, consistent with what's legal...I lived through this: if you didn't manipulate the market and manipulation was accessible to you, that's when you were yelled at.
-Former Goldman Sachs trader
New York Times, May 8, 2002
See also:
Enron, IETA, Nick Leeson, Nick Stern, Nickledback, Old Nick, Nicked, In the Nick and Wednesday's "Police Raid at Deutsche Bank World Headquarters (DB)".