WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — A federal futures regulator said Tuesday he believes there have been numerous attempts to fraudulently influence silver market prices, and he urged the agency to prosecute those who may have violated commodities laws.
Bart Chilton, a commissioner at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, made his comments Tuesday at the start of a public meeting where the agency will be proposing new rules to strengthen its anti-fraud and anti-manipulation powers.
The agency’s enforcement division for over two years now has been probing the silver /quotes/comstock/21e!f1:si\z10 (SIZ10 2,382, +27.60, +1.17%) market amid a flurry of complaints by investors who have raised fears about potential price manipulation. The CFTC hasn’t provided any updates on the investigation, and Chilton said he thinks “the public deserves some answers to their concerns that silver markets are being, and have been, manipulated.”
“I believe there have been repeated attempts to influence prices in the silver markets,” he said. “There have been fraudulent efforts to persuade and deviously control that price.”
He urged prosecution of those who may have violated the law, but said he can’t prejudge what the agency will do with its investigation.
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