A former managing director of Close Wealth Management has been banned from working in Jersey’s finance industry after being found to have forged her qualifications and for refusing to reveal her true identity.
Pippa Harbour, who only a year ago held the position of MD of international investment with Close, will be breaking the law if she takes up employment with any person or entity registered with the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC).
The ban follows Harbour serving 240 hours community service last July after being found guilty of falsifying her Reading University degree and London Business School MBA when gaining employment with Close, for whom she worked in Guernsey and Jersey.
According to local press reports, during her trial Harbour refused to give her date of birth or real name to the court. It also emerged that throughout several years spent working in Guernsey she had provided various dates of birth and other information on official documents.
Last week, the JFSC issued a statement saying Harbour had been barred from employment in the financial sector and that anyone employing her would also be committing a criminal offence.
It said: “Ms Harbour has failed to satisfy the Commission of her true identity, sufficient to allow the verification of her qualifications and, consequently, the Commission is unable to discharge its statutory duty under the Law by, in particular, satisfying itself as to Ms Harbour’s fitness and propriety.”
