Japanese financial authorities are likely to order a unit of online financial firm SBI Holdings Inc. to suspend operations over alleged illegal soliciting from investors, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The Financial Services Agency is considering the move against SBI Social Lending Co. after a third-party panel of the parent company concluded last month that the subsidiary solicited funds from investors with false or misleading information in connection with several lending cases, the sources said.

The Tokyo-based SBI Social Lending solicits funds from investors and lends to companies. Investors can receive principal with interest.

But the panel of SBI Holdings had pointed out that the subsidiary is sloppy in its lending assessments, saying its top management lacks a sense of professionalism.

==Kyodo

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