---
born: 1927-01-05
category: BCCI Scandal
died: 2013-11-24
location: Hollingbourne, Kent, England
summary: Robin Leigh-Pemberton served as the Governor of the Bank of England.
tags:
- Person
- BCCI
---

Robin Leigh-Pemberton served as the Governor of the [Bank of England](/organizations/bank-of-england/).[^1]

### Role in BCCI Scandal

Leigh-Pemberton, along with Deputy Governor [Eddie George](/people/eddie-george/), was aware of the disastrous 1990 Price Waterhouse audit of [BCCI](/organizations/bank-of-credit-and-commerce-international/), which revealed that many of BCCI's transactions were "fraudulent and deceitful."[^2] Despite this knowledge, the [Bank of England](/organizations/bank-of-england/) agreed to a plan in spring 1990 to allow BCCI to move its headquarters to [Abu Dhabi](/places/abu-dhabi/) and for [Sheikh Zayed](/people/zayed-bin-sultan-al-nahayan/) to take over the bank.[^3] This action effectively concealed BCCI's problems from its depositors and creditors.[^4]

On June 28, 1991, Leigh-Pemberton and George decided to act, informing the Federal Reserve Bank of the impending seizure of BCCI in the [United Kingdom](/places/united-kingdom/).[^5] The Bank of England had been reluctant to shut down BCCI, despite knowing of its insolvency, and had been trying to persuade Sheikh Zayed to inject more money.[^6]

[^1]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 10.
[^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 135.
[^3]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 135.
[^4]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 135.
[^5]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 146.
[^6]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 55.