News
Midweek Roundup: Iran Purportedly Expands its Financial Presence in Armenia, SEC Awards First Whistleblower Payout, and More
printA U.S. Justice Department probe of alleged sanctions violations at the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has led to the departure of a senior risk manager, the Financial Times reported Tuesday. RBS first disclosed in a regulatory filing 18 months ago that it had potentially violated sanctions laws. More Commerzbank, which likewise had previously disclosed potential sanctions violations in its earnings reports, reiterated that it could pay a fine for violating U.S. sanctions against Iran, Cuba, Sudan and other nations. More Iran is eyeing neighboring Armenia as a means to bypass international sanctions on its banking sector, Reuters reported Tuesday....
TO READ THE FULL STORY
Subscribe
Learn More
Related News
Over 2,000 new anti-money laundering jobs were created at U.K. commercial banks through June, Cuba's Ministry of Justice ordered lawyers to report suspicious transactions tied to money laundering, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Plans by the Royal Bank of Scotland to sell its U.S. subsidiary Citizens have been delayed due to ongoing AML compliance problems and potential sanctions violations, Turkey, Myanmar and Kenya could be added to the FATF list of noncompliant nations, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Singapore is adding tax evasion to its list of predicate money laundering offenses, eighty foreign MSBs have registered with FinCEN since August, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The Central Bank of Nigeria approved AML legislation that had been pending since 2009, Hong Kong financial institutions filed 29 percent more STRs in the first six months of 2012 than during the same period last year, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Standard Chartered Bank finalized its $340 million settlement with New York State , U.S. officials lifted sanctions against Myanmar's Mayflower Bank and Asia Wealth Bank, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Switzerland is investigating four Uzbek nationals with close ties to their country's president for possible money laundering, German lawmakers are likely to reject a proposed tax data exchange agreement with Switzerland ahead of parliamentary elections, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The Holy See hired Swiss lawyer Rene Bruelhart to help bolster the city-state's AML controls, Liechtenstein is weighing whether to enter a withholding tax agreement with Germany, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Afghanistan continues to transact with blacklisted Iranian banks and firms despite U.S. pressure, Argentina's new controls on international monetary flows took effect as part of a broader effort to curb tax evasion, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Bulgaria's national soccer leagues are intrinsically linked to organized crime groups, a senior Iranian military commander is suing the U.S. for blacklisting him, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Officials in India are looking to strengthen anti-money laundering and terrorist financing controls, U.S. Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) suspect Wal-Mart's Mexico branch of money laundering, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The Federal Reserve Board ordered Asian Bank to strengthen its written Bank Secrecy Act program, a former executive at Lloyds Banking Group admitted to orchestrating a fraud and money laundering scheme worth over $3 million, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Some countries may take years to fully implement the revised FATF recommendations, China's foreign minister spokesman protested U.S. sanctions against Bank of Kunlun Co., and more, in this weeks' roundup.
The world's wealthiest hid at least $21 trillion in tax havens by the end of 2010, Ethiopia's financial intelligence unit wants to amend the nation's AML law in order to meet international standards, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Qatar has addressed most of the deficiencies previously identified in its anti-money laundering regime, Finra fined Integrated Financial Planning Services, Inc. $32,500 for AML violations, and more, in the midweek roundup.
FinCEN will hold a public hearing on July 31 to discuss potential beneficial ownership-related due diligence rules, German tax authorities searched the homes of Credit Suisse clients over alleged tax evasion charges, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The European Union tightened sanctions against Syria, Switzerland said that it will widen the power of its anti-money laundering unit, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Midweek Roundup: FSA Probing CDD Violations at U.K. Banks, Vatican Bank Risks FATF Censure, and More
Uruguay's central bank released a national action plan aimed at curbing money laundering, the Philippines President signed two laws that strengthen the nation's AML and counterterrorist financing regimes, and more, in the midweek roundup.