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Persistent, ‘Serious Weaknesses’ Land Malta on Global ‘Gray List’

By Koos Couvée

Malta gained an ignominious distinction Friday, becoming the first EU nation placed on an intergovernmental group's "gray list" of jurisdictions that pose a high risk of financial crime. The Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-money laundering standard setter, said in a statement at the end of its latest tri-annual summit that Malta failed to implement several key recommendations after an evaluation two years ago found the nation's anti-financial crime defenses largely lacking. "FATF recognizes that Malta has made good progress in a number of areas [but] is clear that there remain serious weaknesses," FATF President Markus Pleyer said in...

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