World Money Laundering Report: Digest 20040325 -
This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment If you are a Canadian in the finance, real estate or any sort of money = business, you should be aware of our newq money laundering legislation. = The following is a bit of a primer about money laundering around the = world - subscription availability is at the bottom. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: [email protected]=20 To: [email protected]=20 Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2004 1:48 AM Subject: World Money Laundering Report: Digest 20040325 World Money Laundering Report: Digest WMLR Digest 25 March, 2004=20 In World Money Laundering Report: Online this week See www.wmlro.com to subscribe *** UK: Financial Institutions required to freeze more assets The UK has announced the names of more targets for asset freezing and = all UK financial institutions must look for anything they may hold. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** HK: e-mails link to fraudulent bank website, says HKMA Hong Kong's HKMA has warned of a spam scam leading the curious to a = fraudulent website purporting to be Hang Seng, a subsidiary of HSBC. = Hang Seng comment, too. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** UN condemns Israel's murder of Palestinian - but only just Israel has accused the UN's Human Rights body of supporting terrorism = because it has passed a resolution condemning Israel's murderous attacks = in Palestinian territory. Others see Israel ignoring a succession of UN = initiatives. And in the Security council, the US stifled attempts for a = resolution making similar condemnation. Why? Is it semantics or = politics? Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** Caution required: questions asked over Brazilian "bank." The website of a company claiming to be bank is quite impressive. It's a = real company with, apparently, real business. But something doesn't look = quite right. It may be an idea to exercise caution, although there is = nothing specific we can put our fingers on.=20 Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** Similar names cause confusion in investment scam Robert J Smith, not the lawyer referred to in another article in WMLR:O, = is one person named by the Manitoba Securities Commission as engaged in = an "investment scam." But its not the only name that involved that might = cause considerable confusion. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** Can: lawyer nearly disbarred after laundering scheme Robert J Smith, a former Saskatoon judge who returned to practice in = 1995 after being invited to resign from the bench, has now been invited = to resign from his profession following involvement in dealing in = criminal proceeds. But there are lessons for every lawyer.... Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story ------ >>> Compliance Programmes <<< Design, implementation audit, monitoring Inspection of and reporting on compliance=20 in correspondent banks and other customers EU, South East Asia, USA Contact Silkscreen Consulting London: +44 (0)207 107 9512 www.countermoneylaundering.com ------- *** UK FSA: "Final Rules" on conflicts in research When will the FSA stop aping the USA? Now it's taken to using the term = "Final Rules." Aside from the annoying habit of poor linguistics, its = Rules on conflict between research and business are important.=20 Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** Spammers find way around CAN SPAM Act It's absolutely no surprise that spammers have found what they think is = a way around the Can Spam Act.=20 Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** OECD announced "Further Progress In Eliminating Harmful Tax = Practices." The headline is taken from an OECD press release and you will see that = it is full of capital letters, suggesting it is aimed for the US market = where yesterday a steady stream of politicians began to argue against = the USA's concentration on tax information exchange, repeating the = oft-heard argument that the USA has a great competitive advantage from = its tax regime, and it should be very cautious before throwing it away. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** OFAC: List changes 22 March OFAC has made significant changes to its lists. Full details here. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** UK: Large fine for complaints handling failure. The UK's Financial Services Authority has fined Allied Dunbar GBP725,000 = for failing to properly handle complaints. Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** Malaysia: Businesses breathe better because Badawi's ballot box = boss. As the voting came in overnight for the first Malaysian elections for = almost three decades where Mahathir, the father of modern Malaysia, was = not standing as incumbent PM the quiet man of Malaysian politics, = Abdullah Badawi watched with characteristic calm as his new coalition = trounced the fundamentalist PAS even in their homelands. The result may = be the signal the Malaysian economy has been waiting for.=20 Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story *** US: Oxley's at it again If you thought Senator Oxley would have burned out by his work on the = Sarbanes-Oxley Act, forget it. He's setting about Insurance Regulation = now - and with a plan for federal regulation, he's getting support.=20 Subscribe at www.wmlro.com for full story -------- New Series:=20 In House lectures, seminars and workshops - from beginner to advanced - Silkscreen Consulting www.countermoneylaundering.com/courses/ =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D AML e-training www.quicktolearnmore.com, the only e-learning product recommended by the = ASEAN Bankers' Association for AML Training.=20 Available in English and Chinese. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D World Money Laundering Report: Digest NEWS *** It might seem a bit mean to be Microsoft bashing on the day after = they get the biggest ever fine for abusing a dominant position (hey, EU, = don't be afraid, Mr Gates ain't goin' to get you). In any case, it's a = false dawn for the EU, the financial institutions bit of which has = signed up for Microsoft's data interchange for interbank transactions. = If they really wanted to do something about MS's business practices, the = EU should have simply embargoed MS product in all EU institutions. But = then the US would have started a trade war and stopped buying French = cheese and wine and started calling French Fries something less European = (oh, we forgot, they tried that, already). And there is a really, really funny press release from an ABPG (another = bloody pressure group). This one has the delightful name of Citizens = Against Government Waste and is therefore uniquely placed to comment on = the EU's decision. They say "Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) = today expressed outrage over the draconian punishment handed down by the = European Commission (EC) to Microsoft for violating European antitrust = laws." Actually, for the record, in Europe we have competition and = monopoly laws. The CAGW expresses its "outrage" thus: ""The decision by = the European Commission will have a global impact of negative = consequence," CAGW President Tom Schatz said. "In most international = antitrust cases, courts will rely on precedent if a decision has been = made in another jurisdiction. This is to ensure stability in the global = marketplace. Microsoft had already reached a fair agreement in U.S. = courts that the EC should have followed." "As the rest of the world continues to grow technologically, Europe will = lag behind if it does not change its mindset," Schatz concluded. "The = European Commission should not have issued a decision that defies = precedent and will have such a negative impact on the global economy. It = is imperative that when Microsoft appeals this decision that the United = States government weighs in on behalf of the American consumer and = taxpayer." There's a pic of Mr Schatz, who looks very displeased about = something, at = http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=3Dnews_media_page . They = say of themselves "Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's = largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating = waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government." No room to = advocate Linux there, then. And no, their website doesn't say who funds = them except to solicit "tax deductible donations." But taking two = figures from their website and performing a simple calculation (USD687 = milliard / 9,000) they have raised from donations etc some USD73.33 = million dollars. But that's not what we want to be mean about. It's the simple thing that = we have absolute evidence (because it was addressed to us) that a = Microsoft group company is marketing its wares to e-mail addresses = harvested from websites and sending unsolicited commercial e-mail to = them: and that's SPAM. The e-mail does not have a physical address for = the sender and it does not have an unsubscribe option. If this spam were = sent from the USA, or to the USA from outside the USA, then the sender = is at risk of action under the CAN SPAM Act. Unfortunately (but = fortunately for MS), 1) the mail might have been sent by an agent - hard = to tell - and 2) our copy of the message went to a domain hosted in the = UK - shame it did not go to one hosted in the USA. Had it done so, then = we could have had a huge giggle at Microsoft's expense - as it is, it's = just a snigger. But it's still funny.=20 *** Long story: how not to wind up a financial services group On Monday, March 22, 2004, attorneys representing Metropolitan Mortgage = & Securities Co., Inc., Summit Securities, Inc. and Metropolitan = Investment Securities, Inc. (collectively, the "Debtors") filed a = complaint in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of = Washington, seeking a stay of pending and future litigation against the = Debtors and their subsidiaries and their respective directors and = officers (collectively, the "Insureds"). "This action was taken first in order to preserve the proceeds of the = Insureds' directors' and officers' liability insurance policies and = professional liability insurance policies (the 'Policies')," said Ford = Elsaesser, outside counsel to Summit Securities, adding, "the insurance = coverage represents a valuable asset of the Debtors' bankruptcy estates = that will potentially be reduced to the extent that funds are expended = to defend these matters." Elsaesser further pointed out that "Debtors' officials feel the = insurance proceeds should be preserved as part of the assets available = to all claimants whose claims are valid and insured by the Policies. = During the bankruptcy process, the Debtors are hopeful that outstanding = civil litigation implicating the Policies can be consolidated to further = reduce costs and ensure an equitable distribution to prevailing = claimants." According to Douglas Siddoway, a Randall & Danskin attorney working with = the Creditors Committee for Metropolitan Mortgage, the Committee = supports the filing "in order to preserve this bankruptcy asset." On 4th February 2004, Metropolitan Investment Securities, Inc. ("MIS"), = a subsidiary of Summit Securities, Inc., filed for liquidation under = Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The voluntary petition was filed = in the Eastern District of Washington, located in Spokane, Washington. = MIS' assets principally consisting of a cash operating account and two = segregated accounts established pursuant to an agreement entered into by = MIS with the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD") in = connection with MIS' settlement with the NASD in October 2003. The first = account held USD1 million in a special escrow account for payment to = finally resolved claims of certain customers of MIS. The other account, = the restitution account, was created to provide identified restitution = amounts to certain customers identified by the NASD. Of the approximate = USD2.8 million originally deposited into that account, nearly USD2.2 = million has been distributed to customers since November 2003 when t he restitution account was created. The filing followed MIS' decision = to cease operations on December 15, 2003. MIS' sole activity since = mid-December until liquidation was servicing its obligation under the = agreement with the NASD, transferring all of its customer accounts to = other broker dealers and winding down its operations. At the time of = filing, MIS had no customer accounts and no employees, officers or = directors. On the same day, related companies issued the following statement: = "Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co., Inc. and Summit Securities, = Inc. today filed for bankruptcy relief under Chapter 11 of the = bankruptcy code. The filing occurred in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for = the Eastern District of Washington, in Spokane, and followed the = companies' earlier announcement that the filing was expected this week. = The companies' insurance subsidiaries are financially sound, remain = operating and were not included in the filing.=20 "We believe Chapter 11 gives us the best opportunity to restore trust = and faith in the companies," said Bill Smith, Chief Financial Officer = for both companies. "As we said earlier, we anticipate putting into = place a plan of reorganization that will allow the companies to combine = and reorganize through a debt-for-equity arrangement. This arrangement = will likely provide current bondholders and creditors with substantially = all ownership in the reorganized company." "We are working cooperatively with bondholders, creditors and the court = and plan to emerge as soon as possible from bankruptcy with a strong, = vibrant company operating with the highest level of integrity," said = Smith. "We know that our exit from bankruptcy is a difficult process = that could take up to a year, and we also know the anguish this filing = may have caused our investors and those who have put their faith in us. = We are firmly committed to satisfying our financial obligations to the = maximum extent possible." "These Chapter 11 filings do not affect the continuing operations of the = companies' subsidiary insurance companies, which will continue their = business as usual. The insurance company subsidiaries remain subject to = the jurisdiction of state insurance regulators charged with protecting = the interests of policyholders and claimants in all states and = territories. The insurance companies remain committed to cooperate with = the state insurance regulators in their efforts to protect the interests = of policyholders and annuitants.=20 "Metropolitan and Summit emphasized that the restructuring process = should have little effect on their ability to fulfill their obligations = to employees or to pay vendors for goods and services. As a result of = the Chapter 11 filings, the companies will be prohibited from paying = certain pre-filing obligations. In due course, the companies believe the = court will permit them to continue post-filing daily operations without = interruption." On 5th March 2004, the Washington Insurance Commissioner brought an = action in relation to a sister company, Western United Life Assurance = Company. The company said :" Metropolitan Mortgage & Securities Co., = Inc. today acknowledged action taken this week by the Washington State = Office of the Insurance Commissioner (the "OIC") to initiate a voluntary = rehabilitation of, appoint a receiver for, and assume control of the = Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Western United Life Assurance Company = ("WULAC"). Since December 2003, the OIC has been engaged in supervising = WULAC. "We understand that the Commissioner took this action to ensure the = financial protection of WULAC," said William A. Smith, Metropolitan's = Chief Financial Officer. "We believe that the OIC's actions are taken to = protect WULAC's policyholders and annuitants." "On February 4, 2004, Metropolitan filed for protection under Chapter 11 = of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Metropolitan's wholly owned subsidiary, = Western United Holding Company, which is the direct parent of WULAC, was = not included in that filing and have not sought bankruptcy protection. = The actions of the OIC did not result in an immediate change of that = company's management team. Nevertheless, these actions may affect Metropolitan's ability to effect = a reorganisation and has caused the Company to consider other options = besides the previously announced debt-for-equity reorganisation. = Metropolitan remains committed to fulfilling its obligation to maximise = the value of the bankruptcy estate for the benefit of the Company's = creditors." Summit Securities, Inc. also acknowledged action taken by the Arizona = and Idaho State Departments of Insurance (the "DOI") to initiate a = voluntary rehabilitation of, appoint a receiver or rehabilitator for, = and assume control of Summit's wholly owned subsidiaries, Old West = Annuity & Life Insurance Company and Old Standard Life Insurance Company = (collectively, the "Insurance Subsidiaries"). Since December 2003, the = respective DOIs have been engaged in supervising the Insurance = Subsidiaries. "We understand that the Departments of Insurance took this action to = ensure the financial protection of the Insurance Subsidiaries," said = William A. Smith, Summit's President. "We believe that the DOI's actions = are taken to protect the Insurance Subsidiaries' policyholders and = annuitants." "On February 4, 2004, Summit filed for protection under Chapter 11 of = the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The Insurance Subsidiaries were not included = in that as they are not eligible debtors under federal bankruptcy law. = The actions of the DOI may affect Summit's ability to effect a = reorganisation and has caused Summit to consider other options besides = the previously announced debt-for-equity reorganisation. Summit remains = committed to fulfilling its obligation to maximise the value of the = bankruptcy estate for the benefit of Summit's creditors," said the = company in a further statement. But things are a bit strange in other respects: the companies want to = hire a "crisis manager" paying him (or her) wait for this - USD80,000 = per month. According to the SpokesmanReview.Com (a local news site in = Spokane, Washington where the company is based) the average local salary = is less than USD2,000 per month. Oh, and the site also says that pay = rates for the crisis manager's assistants (of which there are no ideas = as to number) will be between USD175 per hour for junior staff to USD575 = for managers. The task is set to last about six months. There is such a mess, one has to wonder whether it's worth trying to = save: in January 2004, Ernst and Young resigned as auditors, saying that = they had not been provided with full accurate information for the = previous three years. The money in the accounts (see the top of this = piece) will almost all be gone just in those fees, surely. And more, = there are three class actions against group companies - although that's = what the applications for stay were all about. According to the local = website, the creditors agree with hiring the turnaround specialist - = they must think it's not so much of a gamble. The CEO, President and Chairman (Cadbury, where are you now?" C Paul = Sandifur Jr, left without notice in late January, to be substituted by = Irv Marcus who promptly said the company has hired outside experts to = report on the company's prospects. =20 Inevitably, the class actions are by shareholders: they are seeking as = much as USD300 million according to some reports. Clearly the companies = have nothing and so the actions to try to keep the company afloat, to = try to get some value into the shares (which are now suspended) and to = stay proceedings against the companies and their officers also have a = spin off action against the former officers of the businesses. Reports = place total "assets" as USD1.7 milliard - but that's not the companies' = money.=20 *** OSCE LAUNCHES NEW ANTI-TRAFFICKING TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR MOLDOVAN JUDGES AND PROSECUTORS CHISINAU, 24 March 2004 - The OSCE Mission to Moldova has inaugurated a=20 new project aimed at training Moldovan judges and prosecutors in successful prosecution methods to combat human trafficking... see: http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?ut=3D2&id=3D3954 *** HK Five persons, including the former chairman of Keen Lloyd Group = (KLG), charged by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) = for their roles in a US$28.78 (about HK$222 million) Letters of Credit = (L/Cs) fraud, were yesterday (Wednesday) convicted by a jury of the = Court of First Instance. Chin Kam-chiu, alias Chun Kam-chiu, 46, former chairman of KLG; Tsang = Siu-lan, 34, former manager of KLG; Chow Wai-choi, 44, former deputy = general manager of then Sin Hua Bank Limited (Sin Hua Bank); Hau = Pui-yee, alias Hau Pui-ming, 53, former assistant general manager of Sin = Hua Bank, and Ma Kin-fai, 45, former senior branch manager of Sin Hua = Bank, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud. Mr = Justice Pang Kin-kee adjourned the case until 8 April, 2004 for = sentence, and remanded the defendants in custody.=20 The case arose from a complaint, alleging that Chun might have corruptly = secured credit facilities from a bank. ICAC inquiries uncovered the = conspiracy offence. The charge stated that between November 1, 1998 and = April 30, 1999, the defendants had conspired together and with other = persons to defraud Sin Hua Bank, its shareholders and creditors by = dishonestly: - causing and permitting applications to be made to Sin Hua Bank by Keen = Lloyd (Holdings) Limited and Keen Lloyd Motors Limited for the issue of = L/Cs to finance the purported purchase of goods from a number of = companies; - causing and permitting the falsification of documentation required for = the negotiation of the L/Cs; and - causing and permitting payments to be made to the beneficiary = companies pursuant to the negotiation of the L/Cs. The court heard that the beneficiary companies were in fact controlled = by KLG, and there were no genuine commercial transactions relating to = the purchase of electrolytic copper cathodes or aluminium ingots as = claimed in the 25 L/Cs involved in the scam. The court also heard that as a result of the scam, Sin Hua Bank released = a total of US$28.78 million (about HK$222 million) under the L/Cs to the = beneficiary companies. The sums were subsequently transferred to the = bank account of KLG. *** Following allegations by the USA that Saddam Hussein spirited away = up to USD10 milliard from the UN's Oil-for-Food programme, the UN is to = have an anti-corruption inquiry. Responding to questions at the daily = press briefing about the Secretary-General's intention to have an = independent investigation into the allegations, spokesman Fred Eckhard = said the next step would be for Mr. Annan to meet the Security Council, = or send it a letter, sometime this week laying out the terms of = reference for an investigative panel and the names of members.=20 Mr. Annan has formally contacted the Council on the matter in a letter = sent to its members on Friday. The Secretary-General, Mr. Eckhard = noted, feels that the investigation could not succeed without the = cooperation of the Security Council and all Member States. Asked about = responses to the Secretary-General's written request for cooperation = with an inquiry, the spokesman said L. Paul Bremer, the Administrator of = the United States-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), has = promised cooperation in a letter had to the UN's in-house watchdog - the = Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). Mr. Eckhard said the = investigation should establish the facts in a key number of areas, and = that the UN looked forward to it. "We hope that the clouds that have = been over our heads will be lifted," he said.=20 Between December 1996 and November 2003, the programme allowed the = sanctions-bound Government of Iraq to sell oil for food and humanitarian = supplies and served as the sole source of sustenance for 60 per cent of = Iraq's estimated 27 million people. All contracts for oil sales were = approved by a Security Council panel - the "661 Committee" - which also = oversaw most contracts for the purchase of relief supplies. The = operation was the UN's largest-ever in financial terms - purchasing and = managing some $46 milliard worth of humanitarian assistance, supplies = and projects - and achieved progressive improvements in health, = education and public infrastructure. Malnutrition rates for children = under 5 in the central and southern regions were cut in half, the = capacity to undertake major surgeries increased by 40 per cent and more = houses were built in 2002 than in 1990.=20 *** At last a sensible decision on domain names: now you can order them = for 100 years from Network Solutions. That should avoid the embarrassing = events that have afflicted government departments, large and small = businesses over the past few years as no one remembers to renew the = domain. And at a whisker under USD1,000 it's not a bad buy (especially = now the dollar costs so little). But, of course, it begs one or two = questions: given the number of changes in the past few years, how do we = know that NetSol will be around to honour the agreement for that long? = And who has a 100 year diary so we can make that entry now: we know for = sure that no computer diary will last that long without becoming = corrupted. It's sort of the same problem as to how to keep customer = identification information for the full life of a bank account plus five = years when the customer in front of you is 18 years old and, the way we = are all living longer than previous generations and that inertia = prevents people changing bankers for most of their lives, will still be = using the same account when he's 130. But, as always, someone has to go and spoil it by trying to be = interesting when he should be informative: NetSol Ceo Champ (honest, = it's his name) Mitchell said "100 Year Domain Service is ideal for = individuals or businesses that place a high value on keeping their = domain registration indefinitely." Sorry. It's finite. Unless NetSol = says "buy for 100 years and have it for ever" - which is hasn't. A = lesson in thinking before speaking lies in there, somewhere.=20 =3D=3D=3D=3D Services for You from =3D=3D=3D=3D =3D=3D World Money Laundering Report =3D=3D *** World Money Laundering Report on-line bookshop at www.vortexcentrum.com/books.htm With suppliers including Hammicks Legal, Global Investor and Amazon.Com = and on-line reviews, this specialist service is now your one-stop place = for all your AML research materials. *** We've told you about using Google and The Wayback Machine to help = with KYC. Now you can search both right from your browser with your *free* browser = toolbar. Download it now from www.vortexcentrum.com/tools.htm ------- If you received this from someone other than vortexcentrum.com and would = like to receive your own copy, subscribe at www.vortexcentrum.com =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D WMLR Digest is a service of World Money Laundering Report - part of The = Anti Money Laundering Network. WMLR Digest is a free weekly newsletter = for subscribers. Subscribe / Unsubscribe information is at the end of this newsletter. -------- Conference organisers:=20 Advertise your event at VortexCentrum.Com with on-line booking and = co-marketing arrangements. For details contact [email protected] ----------- WMLR Digest: more than 2,900 opt-in subscribers in legislatures, = regulators, law enforcement agencies, banks, insurance companies, law = firms and others plus more than 3000 "pass-on" readers and at least 3500 = additional readers on private circulation lists. About World Money Laundering Report: Online - over 50,000 hits in the = past month. ------------------------------------------ Info, subscribe, unsubscribe information at www.vortexcentrum.com/digestinfo.htm *Copyright etc.* WMLR Digest is 1999-2004 in all formats for all the World. However, you = may forward it to colleagues that may be interested. The only conditions = attached to this permission is that the mail must be forwarded in its = entirety and without addition, deletion or modification and that it must = not be sent to anyone that you think would not welcome it. You are = welcome to distribute it internally to your all or part organisation but = extensive mailings outside your organisation are not permitted. Vortex Centrum Limited (World Money Laundering Report) asserts its moral = rights to be identified as author with regard to the content of WMLR = Digest. World Money Laundering Report and WMLR Digest and World Money Laundering = Report: Online are published by Vortex Centrum Limited, a UK = corporation. Full contact details are at www.antimoneylaundering.net Tel: + 6 03 2142 7588 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia);=20 +44 (0)207 107 9512 (London, England) Editor Nigel Morris-Cotterill WMLR Digest ISSN1473-3390 World Money Laundering Report (electronic) ISSN 1473-3439 World Money Laundering Report (print) ISSN 1473-3455 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.centa.com/CEN-TAPEDE/centapede/attachments/41c10141/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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