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In FBME Hearing, Questions on FinCEN’s Use of Patriot Act Sanctions

By Valentina Pasquali

A federal judge on Friday questioned whether U.S. officials properly imposed sanctions against a Tanzanian bank and the grounds on which they can make their case without producing more evidence. In a hearing in the District of Columbia, representatives of FBME Bank Ltd argued that the U.S. Treasury Department has failed to sufficiently disclose the evidence behind its claims that the institution, which operates primarily out of Cyprus, served as a financial conduit for organized criminal groups and suspected terrorists. Although the department deemed FBME a "primary money laundering concern" in March for its purported role in the suspect transfers...

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