BVI Premier arrested for conspiracy to import cocaine for Mexican cartel

Tweet The Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Alturo Fahie, and BVI port authority head Oleanvine Maynard (“Maynard“), were arrested on drug trafficking and money laundering charges in Miami yesterday, shortly after looking at $700,000 in cash in a private jet that was earmarked for them. The cash, they were told, was a payment […]

Growing protests over corruption in global hot spots means increased risks of the movement of proceeds of corruption from PEPs to the West

Tweet 2019 seems to have been a record year for mass protests by citizens marching against national corruption – at least 10 countries have had massive protests in the last few months, many of which are ongoing. Corruption at the national level is perpetrated by politically exposed persons (“PEPs“) who have access to the country’s […]

Colombian financial crime police find suspected money launderer on Instagram buying Lamborghini and Porsche on her Dad’s $2,400 a year salary

Tweet The Colombian financial crime police noticed and tracked down a suspected money launderer by following her extravagant shopping sprees on Instagram. Jenny Ambuila, a Colombian foreign national, was arrested by Colombian federal police for suspected money laundering. She posted many images of expensive purses and 5 star hotel stays in the EU as well as […]

US identifies Canada as major money laundering country, and notes concern over its low prosecution rate

Tweet Canada once again a Major Money Laundering country The 2019 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) published on Friday by the U.S. Department of State identifies Canada once again as a major money laundering country along with a host of risky countries for financial crime. A major money laundering country is one whose banks […]

First unexplained wealth orders take effect in the UK against a non-UK person

Tweet The National Crime Agency in the UK has been granted the first set of Unexplained Wealth Orders (“UWO”) under the Criminal Finances Act, by the UK High Court requiring that an unnamed foreign national from Asia provide a written statement explaining how they obtained sufficient wealth to purchase property. The foreign national subject to the […]

Pope takes on the Mafia and international corruption

Tweet The Vatican’s justice branch has released its statement emanating from its recent anti-Mafia meeting with global law enforcement agencies to take-down the Mafia around the world through excommunication, if necessary. The Pope believes that he can make a difference in eradicating the Mafia and transactional criminal organizations through the reach of the Catholic Church. The […]

“How to” text book by accountant on using offshore tax havens to avoid money laundering detection

Tweet One of the most curious text books one can find in law libraries is a “how to” series of legal text books on how to select the best international tax haven for clients to hide their money. It’s curious because one would have thought that helping clients hide money is not what lawyers are […]

Politically exposed Chinese foreign national pleads guilty to immigration fraud

Tweet Shilan Zhao (趙世蘭), the ex-wife of a Chinese official and a politically exposed person, has pleaded guilty to immigration fraud related to the EB5 investor visa program in the US and will serve a term of incarceration of five years. Zhao conspired with her husband, Jianjun Qiao (喬建軍), aka Feng Li, to immigrate to […]

Nigeria gets ex parte asset recovery order for $153,000,000 in proceeds of corruption from PEP parked in banks

Tweet The government of Nigeria will be able to recover $153 million in proceeds of corruption from Diezani Allison-Madueke, its former Minister of Petroleum, who was and remains a politically exposed person under anti-money laundering law. The funds were alleged to have been stolen from the Nigerian National Oil Company when it was under her control […]

Trial of PEP from Equatorial Guinea for money laundering in France

Tweet Equatorial Guinea trial Teodorin Obiang, the son of the President of Equatorial Guinea, is being prosecuted in France for allegedly laundering the proceeds of corruption in France. Mr. Obiang is also the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea and is a politically exposed person. His trial is scheduled for June 2017. He is accused of bringing […]