CFTC prosecutes platinum and palladium manipulation ... BUT NOT SILVER takedowns?

[swissaustrian]

CFTC prosecutes Platinum and Palladium manipulation ... BUT NOT SILVER takedowns???
They are going after the little hedge fund (AUM 400 Mill. $) trader, but do nothing about that gigantic takedown in silver on that sunday evening in early May 2011. Come on The circumstances were very similar: low volume, small number of participants. The difference: the platinum / palladium manipulator wanted to push prices UP, not down.
Read this from our friends at gata.org:

CFTC lets platinum futures close-banger move on to other precious metals
A former portfolio manager at Moore Capital, one of the world's most successful hedge funds, has been barred from trading US platinum and palladium futures after the government said he tried to manipulate the two small commodities markets.
Christopher Pia, now with hedge fund Pia Capital, has been ordered to pay $1 million to settle charges that he frequently tried to drive up closing prices for the precious metals on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission said Mr Pia executed large orders through a floor clerk in the last 10 seconds of trading, roiling what the regulator called [B]"thinly traded" and "illiquid" markets between November 2007 and May 2008.
Mr Pia is also permanently prohibited from trading any US futures and options on futures when markets are about to close, the CFTC said. He is required to inform current and prospective investors about the settlement, the regulator said.
The deal follows an April 2010 settlement in which Moore Capital, led by Louis Bacon, paid $25 million in response to charges related to Mr Pia's conduct, the CFTC said. Mr Pia left Moore in autumn 2008, the regulator said.
"To protect market participants and promote market integrity, individuals who attempt to manipulate commodity prices must and will be held personally accountable," said David Meister, CFTC director of enforcement. "As demonstrated by today's action, the commission will not hesitate to impose significant sanctions on such traders."
Pia Capital said in a statement: "Christopher Pia is pleased to have settled with the CFTC in order to put this matter behind him. Pia Capital, his current firm, is committed to abiding by the CFTC order and to maintaining the highest level of compliance."
The firm has about $400 million under management, according to an investor.
Mr Pia's trading frequently accounted for a "significant portion" of the volume in Nymex platinum and palladium futures, the CFTC said. The number of palladium and platinum traders on the Nymex floor "was fewer than 10 on any given date," the CFTC said.
Mr Pia's orders hitting the floor typically ranged from 20 to 100 contracts, "which were relatively large orders," the CFTC said.
"Pia's trading strategy took advantage of these key characteristics of these two futures markets -- thinly traded, illiquid, and volume-weighted average settlement price calculations -- to attempt to manipulate the daily settlement prices," the CFTC order said.

http://www.gata.org/node/10173

[Seraphim]

Honestly, the silver bullet is the big dog.

They may very well be composing an airtight prosecution case before making anything public.

[swissaustrian]

Honestly, the silver bullet is the big dog.

They may very well be composing an airtight prosecution case before making anything public.

I hope you´re right.
But looking at previous silver manipulation cases, i´m not too optimistic. We´ve had obvious manipulations in this market for at least 15 years...

[specsaregood]

These are not the metals you are looking for...

[Seraphim]

Although this is somewhat "justice", this is not exactly a big case. It's about a million dollar settlement. Chump change for these big firms.

I'll be excited when the JP Morgue get's slapped with a frozen bass worth hundreds of millions (or more) and watch thier COMEX strangle hold vanish.

The COMEX will be vanquished one way or another - in fact that is the plan. The question is whether the COMEX and it's assets are bled dry by the market through organic forces or if the paper market implodes and their investors get $#@!ed over as the CRIMEX lords walk away with all the real stuff.

I hope you´re right.
But looking at previous silver manipulation cases, i´m not too optimistic. We´ve had obvious manipulations in this market for at least 15 years...