Compliance
Money Laundering Cases To Rise, Swiss Watchdog Says; 1MDB Remains In Cross-Hairs

Malaysia's scandal-hit 1MDB fund was a focal point of FINMA's regulatory efforts last year.
Switzerland's financial regulator last year dealt with more than
twice as many money laundering cases as in 2015, and the number
is set to surge, FINMA
said in its annual report, demonstrating how the Alpine State
faces an intensifying battle to stymie the flow of dirty
cash.
The watchdog examined 22 cases of money laundering last year, a
sharp rise from the nine cases it examined in 2015, and despite
increased efforts to curtail the flow of illicit money, these
figures show no signs of slowing.
“Money laundering risks in Switzerland are increasing,” FINMA
said in its 2016 annual report.
The regulator says that while assets from emerging economies
present opportunities for the Swiss financial market, they also
bring new risks.
“It is often hard to determine the origin of the funds,” FINMA
said. “That is why financial intermediaries need to identify,
limit and monitor their money laundering exposure.”
Notably, FINMA mentioned its probes into certain
Switzerland-based banks over their dealings with 1Malaysia
Development Berhad, or 1MDB, Malaysia's scandal-ridden investment
fund.
Authorities worldwide allege that crooked bankers, politicians
and financiers have siphoned billions of dollars from the fund
and used banks to cover their tracks.
FINMA said it investigated around two dozen banks and
commissioned reviews of institutions, which led to enforcement
proceedings against nine companies. It was not clear, however,
whether all of the probes were related to 1MDB.
In February,
the regulator fined UK-based private bank Coutts more than $6
million over “serious breaches” of money laundering
regulations relating to 1MDB.
Last year, FINMA helped close down Swiss banks BSI and Falcon
Private Bank in Singapore. Both were forced to shut shop in the
city-state because they allegedly helped crooked clients funnel
money from 1MDB.
FINMA said its supervisory authority last year launched
enforcement proceedings against senior bank managers, four of
whom were linked to the 1MDB scandal.
The Financial
Action Task Force, a global anti-corruption watchdog,
conducted an assessment of Switzerland and its efforts to combat
money laundering and terrorist financing. The body concluded that
the Alpine State must undergo an “enhanced follow-up process”, as
the FATF saw “room for improvement in certain areas, for example
in the legal framework”.