BP shares fall 2% on manslaughter report

BP shares closed down 2.2% in London yesterday on a report its managers could face manslaughter charges following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, which could lead to much higher fines over the disaster.

US prosecutors are considering whether to pursue manslaughter charges against BP managers for decisions made before the explosion last April on the rig that killed 11 workers and caused the biggest offshore spill in U.S. history, according to a report from Bloomberg. The Department of Justice is investigating possible criminal charges related to the deaths of the workers, a US official said. These charges could include manslaughter, but the official declined to confirm this was under consideration.  BP has admitted mistakes in the run-up to the rig blast but has denied accusations ...