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Welcome to the March 2014 edition of our corporate crime update – our round-up of developments in relation to corruption, money laundering, fraud, sanctions and related matters. Our update now covers a number of jurisdictions. For the full update on each jurisdiction, please click on the name of the jurisdiction below. Below we provide a brief overview of what is covered in each jurisdiction’s update.

United Kingdom

  • Deferred prosecution agreements become available and code of practice published
  • Sentencing Council: Definitive Guideline on fraud, bribery and money laundering: corporate offenders
  • Court of Appeal considers mental element of attempted money laundering offence
  • JMLSG consultation on consumer credit guidance
  • DPP announces plan to trace more criminal assets abroad
  • HMT advisory notice: Money laundering and terrorist financing controls in overseas jurisdictions
  • Man convicted of £1.3m 'ponzi scheme' fraud

Europe/ International

  • Freezing and Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime Directive approved by Parliament
  • Fourth Money laundering Directive: Progress Update
  • European Commission unveils first EU Anti-Corruption Report
  • ECB third report on card fraud
  • Iran sanctions amended to reflect Geneva Agreement
  • Sanctions measures for Ukraine
  • BCBS guidelines on banks' AML and CTF risk management
  • New TI UK report: how bribes work, and how to stop them
  • FATF: money laundering and terrorist financing through the diamond trade
  • Revised version of Wolfsberg Group's AML principles for correspondent banking

France

  • Publication of the European Commission's (EC) first EU Anti-Corruption Report
  • French Senate adopts a draft law transposing Directive 2012/13/EU on the right to information in criminal proceedings and elements of Directive 2013/48/EU on the right of access to a lawyer
  • The Commision nationale de l'informatique et des libertés (CNIL) extends the scope of its standard authorisation for whistleblowing helplines
  • Circular clarifying the powers of the Minister of Justice and the public prosecutor

Spain

  • FC Barcelona charged in criminal proceedings connected to the signing of a Brazilian footballer

Middle East

  • UAE public official seeks restriction on the receipt of gifts and donations from the public
  • Passport control officer accepts Dh 2.65m in bribes to falsify exit reports

Russia

  • Commercial Court judge accused of aiding criminals

Hong Kong

  • Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung found guilty of money laundering

China & S.E. Asia

  • Science officials in Guangdong under investigation – China
  • Executives criticised at Three Gorges Corporation – China
  • Myanmar's anti-corruption commission swearing-in ceremony does not go ahead – Myanmar
  • Singapore jails anti-corruption official for misappropriation – Singapore

Australia

  • Call for review of Australia’s private sector whistleblower laws
  • Public Interest Disclosure (PID) Scheme
  • Australian miners urged to get behind global transparency push
  • Review of anti-money laundering laws announced
  • Royal commission into union corruption
  • ASIC releases whistleblower Information Sheet
  • Australian Federal Police appears before Senate Committee
  • ASIC appears before Senate Committee
  • Crime figure hired Labor power-broker Graham Richardson to lobby developers

United States

  • Top prosecutor leaving the U.S. Department of Justice
  • Former Siemens Executives get record fines under FCPA
  • SEC Amicus Brief seeks to Protect internal whistleblowers
  • No Fifth Amendment Protection for Required Foreign Bank Account Records