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Welcome to the May 2016 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 update.

UNITED KINGDOM/ EUROPE

  • Market Abuse Update April 2016
  • UK launches Panama Papers taskforce
  • Anti-Corruption Summit: London 2016
  • SFO article on self reporting
  • Money laundering Action Plan
  • Recent developments in English and Scottish bribery enforcement
  • Sanctions update – creation of Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation and changes to UK financial sanctions
  • The Register of Persons with Significant Control - Q&A for UK companies
  • Treasury Committee letters on tax deductibility of fines imposed by regulators on banks
  • EU extends sanctions in respect to actions undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine and to former members of the Ukrainian regime in respect to the misappropriation of public funds.
  • Commission inception impact assessment on Directive amending MLD IV
  • IOSCO study of regulatory approaches to cyber risk

FRANCE

  • French anti-corruption developments: Sapin II law proposes new anti-corruption rules for businesses
  • The Panama papers: France returns Panama to its list of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories
  • Vote after a second reading of the proposed law imposing a duty of vigilance on parent or subcontracting companies
  • Reform of the criminal statute of limitations
  • France issues ministerial decree to freeze assets in respect to individuals and entities affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIL (Da'esh), North Korea's nuclear programme, and the Lord's Resistance Army

MIDDLE EAST

  • Iran-Europe – Opportunities and Challenges
  • PwC Middle East Economic Crime Survey 2016
  • Egyptian auditor dismissed for making allegations of corruption

HONG KONG

  • Property tycoon and former Chief Secretary appeal to Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong's high profile corruption case
  • Hong Kong used as conduit for corrupt money according to Chinese anti-corruption official

CHINA, SOUTH EAST ASIA & INDIA

Malaysia

  • Special task force established for an immediate review of a ministry's procurement process following Malaysia anti-corruption agency's recent investigation involving senior officials of the ministry

India

  • Kingfisher Airline’s loans under extended investigation

China

  • China court jails 24 in another financial fraud
  • Another two senior officials under investigation

Laos

  • Central bank teams up with police to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism

JAPAN

  • Toshiba reveals additional accounting irregularities, faces investigation by US authorities
  • Olympus pays US$ 646 million to resolve US bribery probes

AUSTRALIA

  • Consideration of Deferred Prosecution Agreement scheme
  • Calls to establish National Integrity Commission
  • New funding for the AFP
  • Hearing held concerning Senate inquiry into foreign bribery

UNITED STATES

  • Las Vegas Sands settled FCPA charges with the SEC
  • Novartis settled FCPA charges with the SEC
  • Venezuelan businessmen pleaded guilty for bribing PdVSA
  • DOJ extended Zimmer Biomet's DPA amid post-settlement investigations
  • DOJ announced new FCPA pilot programme
  • Latest FIFA developments
  • District Court refuses to reconsider its earlier order to limit FCPA's jurisdiction
  • DC Circuit determines that Judiciary does not have power to substantively review deferred prosecution agreements
  • US authorities further ease Cuban sanctions
  • US authorities arrest a Turkish businessman who allegedly conspired to violate US sanctions
  • Singapore man extradited to US facing charges for illegal exports to Iran
  • OFAC issues regulations implementing new sanctions targeting Hizballah
  • U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Controls (OFAC) sanctions supporters of Iran's Ballistic Missile Program and UK/ UAE companies for dealings with terrorism-designated Mahan Air
  • Microsoft challenges US authorities' use of secrecy orders to obtain stored electronic data