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* Case revolves around Barclays' October 2008 fundraising
* Staveley's PCP reduces maximum damages claim to 836 mln
stg
* Alleges Barclays handed rival Qatari investors a "sweeter"
deal
* Barclays says PCP's case is "wrong at every stage"
By Kirstin Ridley
LONDON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - A bitter High Court clash between
Barclays and British businesswoman Amanda Staveley,
over whether she was deceived while negotiating a financial
lifeline for the bank at the height of the credit crisis, draws
to a close on Friday.
Staveley is claiming hundreds of millions of pounds in
damages from Barclays in a civil case that kicked off in June
and hinges on how the bank secured emergency funds from Qatar
and Abu Dhabi and averted a state bailout in October 2008.
Staveley's PCP Capital Partners, which led a 3.25 billion
pound ($4.2 billion), Abu Dhabi-backed investment, alleges it
was induced to fund Barclays on much worse terms than Qatar --
despite assurances it would get the same deal.
PCP, which reduced its maximum damages claim to 836 million
pounds from 1.5 billion during the trial, alleges Barclays paid
Qatar 346 million pounds in secret fees and handed the Gulf
state a $3 billion loan that almost matched Qatar's investment.
Qatar said after the February fraud trial that two
additional services agreements with Barclays, agreed in June and
October 2008, were genuine.
Had PCP been aware of these "very sweet" terms, it would
have sought a better deal, it alleged.
The case turned the spotlight back on Barclays' arrangements
with Qatar four months after three senior bank executives were
acquitted of fraud in a criminal case over advisory service
agreements it struck with the Gulf nation in 2008.
Barclays alleged it had struck separate, commercial
agreements with Qatar and that PCP's case was "wrong at every
stage".
Testifying during the trial, Barclays' former top rainmaker
Roger Jenkins accepted he might have used the words "same deal"
to Staveley, but said he would have intended to refer to Qatar
subscribing for the same instruments.
After a dispute about whether PCP was a potential investor
or merely an advisor to Abu Dhabi, Barclays noted Staveley may
have hoped to participate as a principal -- but alleged she did
not suffer a loss due to Barclays' actions.
The bank said PCP was paid a "handsome" 30 million pounds by
Abu Dhabi and attacked Staveley as a "thoroughly unreliable
witness", who used "embellishment and invention" and whose modus
operandi was to "duck and weave".
Twelve years ago, bankers used sexist and demeaning language
when discussing the financier and criticised her professional
competence. Apologising, one resigned as a senior bank lobbyist
in June before the comments were aired.
Nevertheless, the bank relied on the then 34-year-old to
bring on board Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed
al-Nahyan to help secure its independent future.
A judgment is expected later.
($1 = 0.7755 pounds)
(Reporting by Kirstin Ridley; editing by Emelia
Sithole-Matarise)
