Money-laundering suspect ‘held a Barclays account’

Barclays has been dragged into an international money-laundering inquiry after US prosecutors discovered that Arthur Budovsky, the founder of digital currency exchange Liberty Reserve, held an account with the British bank.

Barclays: Dragged into inquiry. Picture: Getty

American prosecutors have filed charges against Costa Rica-based Liberty Reserve, accusing it of helping criminals globally launder more than $6 billion (about £3.9bn) in illicit funds linked to everything from child pornography to software for hacking into banks.

A spokesman for Barclays said yesterday: “Barclays can confirm it is co-operating with the investigation, following the notification it received from the authorities.”

The 119-page indictment from US authorities says that Budovsky held an account with Barclays in Spain.

Budovsky, who was arrested in Spain last Friday, is said to have opened the personal account in 2009.

It is understood that Barclays, whose chief executive Bob Diamond quit in the wake of the Libor-rigging scandal, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.