Lawyers for ex-Barclays CEO challenging FCA ban argue pictures were ‘innocuous’

Images received by former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley from child sexual abuse offender Jeffrey Epstein were of “mature women” and ultimately “innocuous”, his lawyers have argued, as they tried to discredit claims that the ex-banking boss lied about the depth of the two men’s relationship.

The comments were made on the first day of a legal battle in which Staley is trying overturn the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) decision to ban him from senior roles in the UK’s financial sector, after its investigation found he misled the regulator over the nature of his relationship with Epstein.