EU Top Court: OFAC Listing Alone Cannot Justify Refusal of Basic Bank Account
The European Union’s highest court ruled Thursday that a bank may not refuse to open a basic payment account for a consumer solely because the person appears on a U.S. sanctions list, holding that such a refusal is permissible only after an individual assessment of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risk.
U.S. Sanctions Cuba’s State Oil Company as U.N. Flags Rising Child Death Rate
The United States on Thursday sanctioned Union Cuba-Petroleo, Cuba’s state-owned oil and gas company, escalating the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Havana under an executive order issued last month.
Mainland Chinese Rush to Open HK Accounts as Beijing Tightens Grip on Outflows
Chinese investors are hurrying to open bank and brokerage accounts in Hong Kong as Beijing escalates a crackdown on cross-border capital flows, fueling concerns that mainland access to the financial hub could narrow.
DOJ Subpoenas JPMorgan, Bank of America in ‘Debanking’ Probe
The U.S. Justice Department has sent wide-ranging subpoenas to several of the largest U.S. banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, seeking information about whether they improperly closed customer accounts for political reasons.
U.S. Formally Seeks Dismissal of Halkbank Sanctions Case
The U.S. Department of Justice formally asked a federal judge Wednesday to dismiss its criminal case against Halkbank, telling the court it has no intention of prosecuting the Turkish state-run lender.
Crime Groups Now Have Hands on Every Part of Global Gold Supply Chain
Criminal syndicates have embedded themselves so deeply in the global gold supply chain that the regulatory frameworks designed to contain them are fundamentally inadequate, according to a new report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC).
EU Proposes 21st Russia Sanctions Package, Targeting Banks and Crypto Networks
The European Union has proposed a sweeping 21st package of sanctions against Russia, with a record-setting wave of bank listings at its core and new measures targeting cryptocurrency platforms, oil traders, and shadow fleet vessels.
Moroccan Bank Pays €175mn to Settle Probe Over Unauthorized Banking
Morocco’s Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP) has agreed to pay €175,215,571 to settle a Belgian criminal investigation into the bank and its French subsidiary over nearly two decades of alleged unauthorized banking operations serving tens of thousands of Belgian clients.
Hungary Deploys AI to Track Alleged Orbán-Era Corruption and Fraud
Hungary’s Integrity Authority has developed an artificial intelligence and machine-learning platform to track Hungary’s financial flows in real time as it works to trace an estimated €160 billion in public funds alleged to have been misappropriated during former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
Four Nations Impose Sanctions over West Bank Settler Violence
Britain, Canada, France, and Norway on Tuesday announced coordinated sanctions targeting Israeli networks accused of financing, enabling, and carrying out violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.