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U.K. Fines Standard Bank $12.6 Million, in First Action Against Commercial Institution

By Brian Monroe

An anti-money laundering compliance fine disclosed Thursday by the United Kingdom highlights the regulatory risks that commercial clients can pose to their bankers, according to consultants. In a decision notice, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fined Johannesburg-based Standard Bank 7.6 million pounds for failing to identify the beneficial owners of its corporate customers, including those with political connections. The fine is the first by a U.K. regulator against a commercial bank for anti-money laundering (AML) violations. Between December 2007 and July 2011, Standard Bank's AML policies were not applied "appropriately and consistently" to corporate customers with ties to politically...

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