HSBC has fired a group of employees in the U.K. after they filmed themselves staging a mock Islamic State-Style beheading of a colleague and posted it online.
The employees were part of a team-building exercise in Birmingham, central England when they made the film. Six staff members were involved in the short video, which was obtained by The Sun newspaper, according to Reuters.
"This is an abhorrent video and HSBC would like to apologize for any offense caused," a HSBC spokeswoman said.
The banker playing the role of the hostage was dressed in an orange jump suit and kneeled in front of the others with his head down, the same as some of the executed hostages in actual videos. The other men were dressed in dark clothing with masks covering their faces. They gave a whooping war cry and brandished what appeared to be a coat hanger as if it was a knife, and then broke up into laughter, CNN reported.
HSBC's press office in London issued a statement and posted a tweet announcing the firings, FOX News reported.
"We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior," said the bank's statement.
Once we saw this abhorrent video released by @TheSun we took the decision to sack the individuals involved. We apologise for any offence.
— HSBC UK Press Office (@HSBC_UK_Press) July 6, 2015
The incident adds to a string of conduct problems and scandals HSBC has been involved in recently. The bank was suspected by the U.S. Department of Justice in January to have been involved in an international tax evasion ring and was then accused in February of price rigging precious metals.
