Santander's chief executive has been handed a jail sentence and barred from working as a banker for three months by Spain's Supreme Court.

<p>Santander's chief executive has been handed a jail sentence and barred from working as a banker for three months by Spain's Supreme Court.<br /><br />The verdict is an embarrassing blow to the reputation of Alfredo Saenz, whose bank is one of Britain's biggest high street lenders.<br /><br />Mr Saenz will not serve time in prison after the court's judgment in a 14-year case against him. He was found guilty of false accusations against debtors to Banesto in 1994 when he headed the bank which is now part of Santander.<br /><br />He will appeal against the ban and the sentence in a process that Santander said could take up to four years.<br /><br />In any case, he would not have to go to prison because first-time offenders given short sentences are spared jail in Spain.<br /><br />Santander said they supported Mr Saenz, who is the right-hand man to the flamboyant chairman, Emilio Botin.<br /><br />He was originally sentenced to six months in prison in 2009 and has made several appeals.</p>

Santander's chief executive has been handed a jail sentence and barred from working as a banker for three months by Spain's Supreme Court.

Santander's chief executive has been handed a jail sentence and barred from working as a banker for three months by Spain's Supreme ...

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