France’s Lang Faces Money-Laundering Probe after Epstein Revelations
Jack Lang, a former French culture minister and long-time president of the Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA) in Paris, has resigned from the post after Mediapart reported new details about financial and business ties between his family and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
A Landmark Turks-and-Caicos Trial Ends in Conviction of Ex-Premier
A massive corruption trial that spanned a decade ended last week in Turks and Caicos with the convictions of the jurisdiction’s former premier, his brother, and a one-time governmental minister, the Miami Herald said.
UBS Managed Maxwell’s Wealth Long After JPMorgan Cut Ties with Epstein
UBS AG opened accounts for Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2014 and went on to manage as much as $19 million for her in the years before she was convicted for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually traffic teenage girls, Reuters reported.
How Funny Money Helps Russia Skirt Western Sanctions
Fake banknotes resembling Monopoly money are being used to move rubles over borders as part of an effort to circumvent Western sanctions on the Russian Federation, according to new reporting by the Financial Times.
Mayor of Tequila Arrested in Mexican Corruption Sweep Targeting Cartel-Linked Extortion
The mayor of Tequila, the small Jalisco city widely regarded as the birthplace of bottled tequila, was arrested by Mexican authorities Thursday along with three other municipal officials accused of extorting beer and tequila companies, according to The New York Times.
Uzbek Mining Giant Awards $200m in Tenders to Secretive Network of Foreign Firms
Uzbekistan’s state-owned mining giant Almalyk Mining-Metallurgical Complex (AMMC) has awarded more than $200 million in procurement tenders to 10 foreign firms whose ownership and business activity are murky, including companies that reported themselves as “dormant” or “inactive,” OCCRP reported.
Spain’s Top Economic-Crimes Cop and Royal Scion Accused of Running Drug Ring
A Spanish police corruption investigation has widened into a narcotics and money-laundering scandal that links a senior economic-crimes investigator and a son of the Duke of Seville to an international drug-trafficking ring, The Times reported.
Probe Turns Up New Historical Ties Between Credit Suisse and Nazis, Senator Says
A U.S. senator said late Monday that an ongoing investigation into Credit Suisse’s historical ties to Nazi Germany has identified “hundreds” of accounts with potential links to Nazi-era officials and industrialists, including fresh evidence of the bank’s relationship with the SS, Bloomberg reported.
EPPO Launches Investigation into Customs Fraud, Corruption at the Port of Antwerp
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into suspected customs fraud, corruption and document forgery linked to operations in the Port of Antwerp, alleging a scheme that caused an estimated €11.3 million in lost EU import duties.
Thai Military Uncovers Trove of Evidence on Cambodian Scam Compound
The Thai military said it has recovered extensive evidence of transnational online fraud from a Cambodian “scam compound” seized during border clashes last year, including target lists, scam scripts, and equipment used to disguise operations, Reuters said.
