Goldman Sachs and Citigroup Shift Paris Staff to Remote Work After Foiled Bomb Attack

 

Remote Work Measures and Investigation Details

Immediate Response from Banks

PARIS, April 2 (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs told its Paris staff they could work remotely on Thursday following a foiled bomb attack on Bank of America Paris offices last Saturday, a source familiar with the matter said, while Citigroup staff in Paris and Frankfurt are also working remotely.

Authorities' Actions and Suspect Detention

French authorities have placed four suspects in pre-trial detention over the plot, which potentially had links to Iran.

The Paris police authority did not immediately reply to a request seeking comment, while the Paris prosecutor's office declined to comment.

Citigroup's Precautionary Measures

Citigroup's is a precautionary measure, the group said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

Details of the Bomb Plot

Suspects and Charges

French anti-terrorism prosecutors said late on Wednesday the four suspects — three teenagers aged 16 and 17 and one adult — were placed under formal investigation on suspicion of manufacturing, transporting and handling an explosive device and attempting to destroy property as part of a terrorist organisation.

Nature of the Device

The device, a five-litre petrol can taped to a large pyrotechnic charge containing a 650-gram active-material cylinder, was the most powerful of its kind ever identified in France and could have generated "a powerful fireball several meters in diameter," the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said late on Wednesday.

Recruitment and Motive

Investigators established the adult recruited the teenagers, paying them between 500 and 1,000 euros ($580-$1,160) to plant and film the device. All four denied terrorist intent.

Suspected Links and Ongoing Investigation

France suspects the attack is linked to HAYI, a pro-Iranian group that had posted a video on March 23 specifically naming Bank of America's Paris headquarters, though prosecutors said the link has not yet been formally established.

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