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Exclusive: Commerzbank nears $1.4 billion-plus settlement with U.S.- sources


    NEW YORK (Reuters) - Commerzbank AG is nearing an agreement to pay U.S. authorities more than $1.4 billion to settle alleged violations of U.S. sanctions and a separate probe that stemmed from transactions linked to an Olympus Corp accounting scandal, according to two people close to the case.

    The accord, which would include deferred prosecution agreements to suspend criminal charges, could come as soon as next week, the sources said on Thursday, asking not to be named because the matter is not public.

    One of the sources said the final number was expected to be $1.45 billion. The other source cautioned that the deal has not been finalized yet and details could still change.

    Margarita Thiel, a spokeswoman for COMMERZBANK (CBK.XE) Germany's second-largest lender, declined to comment.

    Spokespeople for the U.S. authorities involved also declined to comment. The agencies include the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Federal Reserve, the Manhattan District Attorney?s office, the U.S. Attorneys in Washington D.C. and Manhattan, and New York?s financial regulator, the Department of Financial Services.

    (Reporting By Karen Freifeld in New York; Editing by Soyoung Kim, Chris Reese and Richard Chang)