Ex-Barclays Leader Shows How to Come Clean

July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Last week’s testimony of BarclaysPlc Chairman Marcus Agius to a U.K. parliamentary committeereceived less press than the earlier testimony of his formerchief executive officer, Robert Diamond, but Agius’s performancewas more remarkable.

Diamond sounded evasive -- like the typical post-2008American bank CEO, a now well-known character -- and ignoredparliamentary protocol, calling members of the committee bytheir first names. Agius, in contrast, answered painfulquestions about the Libor-fixing scandal thoroughly, payingrespect to the people’s representatives. When he criticizedhimself, it was without spin. And, most remarkable of all, hedid this after having just resigned from the 322-year-oldinstitution that he had been trusted to steward but that hadstrayed into shallow water.