Letter From Leeson Makes Plea for Trial in Britain

LONDON — Former Barings trader Nicholas Leeson offered Wednesday to help London regulators if he could stand trial in Britain instead of in Singapore.

In an emotional letter read by his wife, Lisa, at a packed news conference, Leeson said he simply wants to come home.

“At the end of the day, there are only two things that are precious to me--they are my wife and my family. I only ask that I be returned to the U.K. so that I can take my punishment.

“I did not steal any money,” Leeson wrote. “I acted unwisely and exceeded my authority, but never with the intention of improperly enriching myself . . . .”

The letter from the former trader, now in jail in Germany, appeals to the British media to “please, please, help” by mounting a campaign for his extradition to Britain.

Singapore wants to try Leeson for fraud, forgery and the illegal transfer of funds. Leeson maintains that he would face a “show trial” if extradited there.

But the Serious Fraud Office, which is investigating the circumstances of the investment bank’s collapse earlier this year, said it had not found evidence to suggest London people were involved.