customer due diligence

AML Compliance: European Union Blacklist for Tax Havens

MEPs have called for a tightening of the rules on which countries are added or removed from the blacklist and indicated that UK overseas territories such as the Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Jersey and Guernsey are among those which should be added to an EU tax havens blacklist after the conclusion of the Brexit deal,

European Parliament to Vote on the 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive

The European Parliament on the 13th February will vote for legislative revisions to the current EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD). This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity, the 3rd directive was voted on 17 December 2005. The proposed revised Anti-Money Laundering Directive should have a tremendous impact on the battles against corruption, drug trafficking, tax evasion and a range of other criminal activities all currently facilitated by the ease in which money can still be laundered across Europe today.

Client Due Diligence – Beneficial Ownership list to be public, PM states

Ministers had already announced the register, intended to lift the “cloak of secrecy” around company ownership contained within the consultation document for ‘Trust and Transparency For UK Companies’. This consultation also raised a number areas of weaknesses concerning ownership and control and will affect client due diligence procedures for regulated entities.

Cyprus damned on money laundering through leaked report

Almost 60 percent of one of the bailed out Cypriot bank’s clients are “high risk” in terms of money laundering and almost a third of all bank depositors’ records contain errors, according to a leaked EU report.

The report which was published by the Cypriot website stockwatch.com.cy – was drawn up in April by Moneyval, a unit of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, and by accountancy firm Deloitte on the request of eurozone finance ministers.

12.05.11 ICAEW Fine Accountant £5,000 for breach

At a Disciplininary Council meeting a Mr P R Honeywell FCA was found to have failed to comply with Money Laundering Regulations 2007 in that, following a practice assurance visit, he failed to:
(i) document a client due diligence review; and
(ii) identify clients for whom his firm, Honeywell (Monmouth) Limited, provides payroll services.