UK court recognizes Stanford's Antigua liquidators

HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Antiguan liquidators, not the U.S. receiver, should be recognized as the foreign. representatives of Allen Stanford's offshore bank in the United Kingdom, an English appeals court ruled on Thursday.

The liquidators appointed by the Antiguan government and Ralph Janvey, the U.S. receiver appointed by a federal judge in Dallas, have been battling for control of $100 million in assets in the United Kingdom that has been linked to Stanford.

The English Court of Appeal also ruled that those funds were subject to a restraining order obtained by the UK Serious Fraud Office at the request of U.S. prosecutors.

Stanford, 59, is accused of leading a $7 billion Ponzi scheme centred on certificates of deposit issued by Stanford International Bank in Antigua. He is in jail awaiting trial and has denied any wrongdoing.

Earlier this month, the Antiguan liquidators and Janvey said they were in talks to settle their disputes over control of the assets of Stanford International Bank.

The talks are on-going, and Janvey said in a statement that he hopes they will lead to a resolution of the various disputes concerning SIB's assets.

(Reporting by Anna Driver)