In the wake of firmed-up evidence of senior bank double-dealings around the world, top IMF strategists are becoming anxious about the ramifications of ‘amoral’ banking.

The Slog has learned that IMF doves who say toughening financial regulation is ‘politically difficult’ (and prone to creating dysfunctional bureaucracy) are losing ground to a Hawk group disturbed by growing evidence of broadscale malpractice among some top global banks.

A banking source close to the IMF writes, ‘Two words are getting heavier usage right now in the IMF: ‘clear’ and ‘hard hitting”. In particular, Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn and those around him think sovereign funding surveillance and ‘financing frameworks’ give rise for grave concern.

Several stories have broken in recent weeks to reinforce IMF concern. One is the allegation that Goldman Sachs economy with the truth on its Greek fund-raising work was (to quote one insider) ‘unacceptable’. Bloomberg picks this up today with revelations that Goldman ‘managed $15 billion of bond sales for Greece after arranging a currency swap that allowed the government to hide the extent of its deficit’.javascript:void(0)

Allegations are also flying in relation to malign Hedge Fund betting about the Euro and Spain on a massive scale. And closer to home, The Slog showed last night how a US financial provider site has released startling evidence about taxpayer ripoffs among the GS crowd there.

We understand however that IMF high-rankers have also been disturbed by the extraordinary Bangladeshi refusal to accept £60 million of climate aid through the world bank – fearing ‘the strings attached’ line is a euphemism for undercover side-deals. Bangladesh has expressly asked for the money to come via the UN.