Barclays Plc’s former top lawyer said emails that Jes Staley and Jeffrey Epstein exchanged over more than a decade were “at odds” with a letter he helped draft for the bank that denied its former chief executive had a close relationship with the late pedophile financier.

Former Barclays boss Jes Staley did not mislead the UK's financial watchdog over his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, Staley's lawyers said on Monday at the start of a London court case in which the former banker seeks to restore his reputation.

Jes Staley stayed in contact with Jeffrey Epstein behind the back of Barclays Plc’s head of communications while the bank dealt with questions about its incoming boss’ links to the late sex offender a decade ago.

The former chief executive of Barclays did not attempt to mislead the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) over the nature of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, a tribunal has heard. Jes Staley was fined more than £1.

Former Barclays boss Jes Staley should be banned from Britain's finance industry for misleading statements about his relationship with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority said on Monday.