The Qatar Central Bank said it had started a legal investigation into alleged attempts by other countries to harm the Qatari economy by manipulating its currency, securities and derivatives markets.
Central bank governor Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al-Thani pinned the blame on other Arab nations that imposed a diplomatic and trade embargo on Qatar earlier this year.
"We know blockading countries and their agents are attempting to manipulate and undermine our currency, securities and derivatives, as part of a coordinated strategy to damage Qatar's economy. We will not stand by while our country is attacked in this manner," Al-Thani said in a statement.
"Make no mistake – where we find attempts to manipulate the Qatari Riyal or Qatar's financial markets, we will take every step to identify and hold accountable anyone engaging in, or attempting to engage, in this illegal behavior," he added.
Al-Thani said the central bank hired U.S. law firm Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP to lead a probe into economic manipulation. Several financial institutions and individuals had also been asked to preserve documents in advance of legal proceedings.
In June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha has denied the claim.
