News

British Bank Regulator Steps Back from AML Thematic Reviews

By Irene Madongo

As pressure mounted earlier this week for U.K. officials to respond to allegations against British banks and politicos, the country's financial watchdog quietly disclosed that it would not conduct thematic money laundering assessments this year. In an annual business plan published Tuesday, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) outlined plans to address risks associated with financial crime but made no mention of the thematic assessments, which have entailed onsite visits to dozens of banks and previously identified "significant and widespread weaknesses" in anti-money laundering (AML) controls. An individual with knowledge of the agency confirmed that the FCA had no plans to...

TO READ THE FULL STORY