Ex-EU Commissioner Charged with Money Laundering
Belgian authorities have officially charged former European commissioner Didier Reynders with money laundering, a person familiar with the case confirmed to Follow the Money. He is not being held in custody.
A Third of Inspected Law Firms Break UK’s AML Rules
A third of inspected law firms in England and Wales are breaching anti-money laundering (AML) requirements, according to a report on new figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Coinbase Fined €22mn for Failing to Monitor Europe Payments
The Central Bank of Ireland has fined cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase €21.5 million for failing to properly monitor transactions, including activity potentially linked to child sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, money laundering and other crimes.
Germany’s BaFin Hits JPMorgan with Record €45mn AML Fine
Germany’s financial watchdog BaFin has imposed a record €45-million penalty on JPMorgan Chase for shortcomings in anti-money laundering (AML) controls, the Financial Times reported, citing the supervisory body.
U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Belavia and Lukashenko Aircraft in Belarus
The U.S. Treasury Department eased parts of its Belarus sanctions regime on Tuesday, lifting measures on the state airline Belavia and authorizing certain transactions tied to President Alexander Lukashenko’s presidential aircraft, Reuters reported.
U.S. Blacklists NK Bankers, IT Firm for Laundering Proceeds of Cybercrimes
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned eight individuals and two entities allegedly tied to laundering illicit proceeds from DPRK cybercrime and overseas IT work.
Hezbollah-Linked Charities Steer Donors to Lebanese Digital Wallets
Blacklisted charities affiliated with Hezbollah have been directing supporters to send money through Lebanon’s booming digital payments sector, routing contributions to wallets held by private individuals rather than official charity accounts, the Financial Times reported.
UK Seizes £12 Million in Dinosaur Bones for Settlement Linked to Singapore Laundering Case
British authorities have seized more than £12 million ($15.6 million) worth of fossilized dinosaur bones as part of a court-approved settlement with Chinese national Su Binghai, a suspect in a sprawling money-laundering scandal that has reverberated from Singapore to London, Bloomberg said.
Brazil’s Central Bank Toughens Capital Requirements for Fintech Firms
Brazil’s central bank is changing how capital requirements are calculated for financial institutions following a recent spate of probes into organized crime groups exploiting the services offered at Fintech firms, Bloomberg reported.
Emails Show Dirty-Money Probe of Epstein, Contradicting Testimony of Ex-Trump Official
Federal prosecutors examined Jeffrey Epstein for money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in 2007, according to emails from the deceased sex trafficker’s personal Yahoo account obtained by Bloomberg.