Two ex-HBOS bank managers charged in $56 mln loan fraud

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Two former employees of Britishbank HBOS have been charged by UK prosecutors over businessloans made through a high street bank for about 35 millionpounds ($56 million), the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) saidon Tuesday. The pair, who were charged with six others, were describedin the CPS statement to be senior managers for the bank and werecharged with conspiracy to corrupt, fraud and money laundering. The men were given numerous high-value gifts by a financialconsultancy in return for appointing the firm to administer bankloans to companies in trouble, the CPS said. They, along with six others who include two employees of theconsultancy, will appear before Reading Magistrates Court onJan. 18. HBOS had to be rescued in 2008 through agovernment-engineered takeover by Lloyds Banking Group which weeks later, had to ask for a 20 billion pound governmentbailout. Last month, a former HBOS chief executive apologised for thefirst time for his role in the high-risk lending strategy thatpushed the British bank close to collapse.