PARIS (Reuters) - BNP Paribas faces "uncertainty" over the size of a possible fine for breaching U.S. sanctions on payments involving certain countries, the French bank's chief financial officer said in an interview on Wednesday.
"There is uncertainty with respect to the amount and the nature of penalties the U.S. will impose," Lars Machenil told Reuters Insider television.
Citing a $1.1 billion provision set aside by BNP for potential litigation costs, he added: "It's not impossible that the fine is far in excess of the provision."
Commenting on the outlook for BNP's robust capital base, Machenil said that the bank's "excess" capital could be used for bolt-on acquisitions but ruled out buying back shares at their current valuation.
(Reporting by Lionel Laurent; Editing by James Regan)
