LONDON â€" The Dutch lender Rabobank said Wednesday that it was close to reaching settlements with American, British and other authorities over its role in the setting of global benchmark interest rates.
The bank is one of several banks under investigation over allegations of rigging of the London interbank offered rate, or Libor.
In a statement Wednesday, the lender said that various authorities had almost completed their investigations into Rabobank’s role in the process of setting Libor and the Euro interbank offered rate, or Euribor.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Justice Department, Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority along with the Serious Fraud Office have been looking into the bank. Dutch authorities are also investigating.
“Rabobank expects to be able to enter into settlements with these authorities within the next two weeks,†the bank said in a statement.
A person familiar with the inquiry said a settlement could come as early as next week.
The bank declined to comment on any possible settlement amounts. The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday that the settlement with Rabobank could be nearly $1 billion, which would make it the second-largest agreement after the $1.5 billion penalty imposed on UBS related to the interest-rate scandal.
The Financial Conduct Authority declined comment Wednesday. The C.F.T.C. and the Justice Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
At court hearing on Monday, the Serious Fraud Office said it had identified 22 individuals at various banks as potential co-conspirators in its wide-ranging inquiry into the manipulation of Libor.
So far, only three individuals have been charged criminally in Britain: Tom A.W. Hayes, a former Citigroup and UBS trader; and James Gilmour and Terry Farr, two former brokers at RP Martin Holdings in London. Mr. Hayes is also facing criminal charges in the United States.
The three have yet to enter pleas in the case.
Barclays agreed to pay $453.6 million in June 2012, and the Royal Bank of Scotland reached a $612 million deal in February. Last month, British and American authorities fined the British financial firm ICAP a combined $87 million for its role.
Citigroup, Deutsche Bank and other banks also remain under investigation by American and British authorities in the matter.
