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Midweek Roundup: Chinese Bank Reportedly Aids Iranian Guard, Portugal Faces Criticism for ‘Golden Visas,’ and More
printA Chinese bank is facilitating Iran's access to global financial markets, including its efforts to finance operations of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' elite Quds Force, according to Reuters, which cited a Western intelligence report as its source. The Quds provides arms, aid and training to Iran's allies in the Middle East, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Shi'ite Muslim militias in Iraq, Reuters said. More Belgian prosecutors charged HSBC's Switzerland-based private banking unit with "serious and organized" fraud for accepting several billions of dollars in potentially untaxed deposits from more than 1,000 clients since 2003, Bloomberg reported. The bank faces a...
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Inadequate supervision over a U.S. immigration program through which wealthy foreigners can more easily obtain residency visas in exchange for investments could expose banks and brokers to legal and regulatory scrutiny, say analysts.
Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert pleaded guilty to violating federal banking laws by structuring cash withdrawals, residents of China are increasingly using underground banks to transfer funds abroad, and more, in the midweek roundup.
More than $200 million in donations given last year to nongovernmental organizations in Kenya originated from unknown sources, FATF said in a report that terrorist groups are primarily funding themselves through traditional methods, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The U.N. Security Council is preparing a draft resolution to comply with the terms of an international nuclear accord, Italy's FIU said that STRs filed by banks jumped 10 percent last year to an all-time high of 71,700, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The EU blacklisted 32 Iranian shipping companies and Tehran-based Bank Tajerat, Westpac, of Australia, became the latest bank to discontinue remittances to Somalia, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Canada announced sanctions against 37 Russian and Ukrainian individuals and 17 entities, banks in Ireland need to improve AML training and risk assessment procedures, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The EU postponed the designations of 19 people and nine entities deemed responsible for instability in Ukraine, Iran will push for the removal of banking and trade restrictions imposed against it in upcoming nuclear negotiations with the U.S., and more, in the midweek roundup.
EU officials will appeal a high court ruling that removed Hamas from the 28-member bloc's blacklist, Colombia arrested the CEO of CI Goldex SA for allegedly executing the nation's largest-ever money laundering scheme, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Interpol issued an arrest warrant for former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych, Philippine investigators suspect that embattled Sen. Jinggoy Estrada laundered millions of dollars of bribes, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The Cayman Islands will not create a register of corporate beneficial owners, rampant corruption in public contracts has led to a widespread failure of Iraq's infrastructure, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Visa and MasterCard have suspended operations in Crimea in response to recently adopted U.S. sanctions, India's Enforcement Directorate charged five individuals with money laundering, and more, in the midweek roundup.
President Obama will sign legislation that imposes further sanctions on Russia, developing countries lost nearly $1 trillion in 2012 to corruption and money laundering, and more, in the midweek roundup.
U.S. and Manhattan officials have added three years to the terms of their original 2012 DPA of Standard Chartered Bank, Israel arrested 28 individuals suspected of facilitating a tax evasion scheme via UBS AG bank accounts, and more, in the midweek roundup.
The FFIEC released the latest version of its BSA exam manual, Transparency International published the annual update of its corruption perceptions index, and more, in the midweek roundup.
French prosecutors have dropped a money laundering investigation against an Iranian dissident group, a new set of AML rules is increasing the pressure on Chinese banks to flag suspicious activity, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Two U.S. banks were targeted by regulators for BSA issues, Wells Fargo Advisors faced a Finra probe for AML problems, and more, in the midweek roundup.
Britain's National Crime Agency is launching a coordinated crackdown on money laundering in the City of London, the EU Commission advanced proposals to member-states on deeper sanctions against Russia, and more, in the midweek roundup.
U.S. and EU officials are considering asset freezes and travel bans on the leaders of rebel groups in Libya, India's Reserve Bank issued simplified due diligence rules for low-risk customers, and more, in the midweek roundup.
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.
Uganda launched a Financial Intelligence Authority to combat money laundering, terrorist financiers are increasingly using Twitter and Facebook to solicit donations for designated groups operating in Syria and other conflict zones, and more, in the midweek roundup.