P.M. BRIEFING : Reward Set for Rumor Spreader
An Australian bank today offered an $8,300 reward in an effort to catch the source of rumors that the bank was near collapse.
A spokesman for Brisbane-based Metway Bank said he believed the bank had been the target of a deliberate and malicious campaign that should not go unpunished.
“We do not see why the company should be exposed to this sort of scurrilous lies,” the spokesman said by telephone.
The reward would be paid for information leading to the conviction of the culprits, he said.
Nervous depositors lined up at branches of Metway this week when rumors began circulating about the bank’s financial health.
The Reserve Bank, Australia’s central bank, stemmed the rush Thursday when it assured depositors that Metway is sound and that speculation about its stability was unfounded.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
