The trial, ongoing since January, was brought by the Serious Fraud Office

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A judge has discharged a jury in a trial against four ex-Barclays executives accused of disguising payments made to Qatar at the height of the financial crisis.

The trial has been running since January to hear a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office, which alleges that the defendants lied to the stock market and other investors about the nature of £322m in fees paid to the Gulf state in 2008 as it tried to secure a multibillion pound rescue package.

It is the only UK criminal trial brought against banking executives for their actions during the 2008 financial crash.

All four defendants – former Barclays chief executive John Varley, ex-investment banking chief Roger Jenkins, the former head of Barclays’ wealth division Thomas Kalaris, and the bank’s ex-European financial institutions head Richard Boath – have denied the charges, which carry a maximum 10 year sentence.

On Monday, Judge Mr Justice Robert Jay discharged the jury.