1.   It is based and traded in London while its operations span Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

2.   Its energy operations span New Zealand, Canada and Brunei while its building activities are mainly based in New Zealand and Australia.

3.   Its insulation operations span Malaysia and Indonesia, with plants under construction in Thailand and China.

4.   Its operations span Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

5.   Standard Chartered grew out of the British empire and is therefore based and traded in London while its operations span Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

6.   Such suspicions are never easy to allay, especially among a disparate group of bankers whose operations span the globe.