On 30th April, OFAC took action targeting Myrna Mabanza (Mabanza), a Philippines-based facilitator who provided support to ISIS-Philippines (ISIS-P), for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, ISIS-P. On February 28th, the Department of State designated ISIS-P as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20180430.aspx
Bellingcat on 19th April published an article that documents some of the open source investigative methods employed in an investigation that discovered several key pieces of information.
Allen & Overy on 27th April published an article saying let there be no confusion: first interview notes in internal investigations are rarely privileged. This, it says, is the message of the High Court in a judgment which is heavily critical of the SFO for failing to take steps to force the disclosure of detailed employee interview notes taken during a company’s internal investigation into corruption. The SFO had relied instead on ‘oral summaries’ after the company concerned had asserted privilege over the notes themselves. The claimant in this case is an ex-employee of the company and is the first individual to be charged with criminal conduct where the SFO has entered into a deferred prosecution arrangement (DPA) with a company for related offences.
http://www.allenovery.com/publications/en-gb/Pages/Court-criticises-SFO’s-approach-to-privilege.aspx
Lloyds Loading List on 30th April reported that more than a third of UK traders rely on the just-in-time delivery of material and components, study finds, but many are not yet preparing for new border procedures. New research from the British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with the Port of Dover, based on the responses of over 835 businesses from across the UK that export or import, finds that over a third (36%) of UK traders rely on the just-in-time delivery of material and components, but that many are not preparing for changes to customs procedures after Brexit. The survey found that delays at UK or EU ports would lead to considerable business disruption, particularly for those operating a just-in-time model.
A news release from the UK Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 30th April reports that reforms will ensure Scottish Limited Partnerships (SLP) continue to be used as a legitimate vehicle for investment and enhance our world-leading business environment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/crackdown-on-abuse-of-uk-businesses-for-foreign-money-laundering
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/limited-partnerships-reform-of-limited-partnership-law
These UK Regulations (SI 2018/529) make provision relating to the enforcement of Council Regulation (EU) 2018/647 of 26th April in UK law. New financial sanctions provisions have been added into the Council Regulation with effect from 27th April. The EU has agreed new autonomous measures to condemn the ongoing widespread and systematic human rights violations committed by the Burma military and security forces, including rape and killings, and calling on Burma to ensure that security, the rule of law, and accountability prevail in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States. The new EU Regulation provides for targeted restrictive measures against military officers of the Burma Armed Forces who are responsible for the serious human rights violations.
Squire Patton Boggs on 26th April reported on an ongoing court case involving Future Bank, formed by Iran’s Bank Melli and Bank Sadarat with Bahrain’s Ahli United Bank in 2004. However, by 2015, Bahraini regulators had placed Future Bank into administration and, by 2016, had closed the bank, on suspicions of money laundering. This prompted Banks Melli and Saderat to bring an action in The Hague, claiming breach of the 2002 Bahrain-Iran Bilateral Investment Treaty for the Promotion and Protection of Investments. They also sought the return of assets they allege were misappropriated by Bahrain. Banks Melli and Saderat also contend that Bahrain’s closure of Future Bank was attributable to political pressure from Saudi Arabia. Both Iranian banks had been designated under US sanctions from 2005. Evidence submitted in the case claims the joint venture afforded Iran “secret access” to the international monetary system in defiance of US and other international sanctions intended to isolate Iran and facilitating $7 billion of trade. It is claimed that, as a result, Future Bank may have facilitated business for purposes of organised crime, arms proliferation and terrorism, with an audit apparently identifying “hundreds of bank accounts tied to individuals convicted of crimes including money laundering and terrorism financing, as well as phantom loans provided to companies that operate as fronts for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
https://www.anticorruptionblog.com/anti-terrorism-financing-laws/irans-trojan-horse-bank/#page=1
The BBC reported on 29th April that a judge has warned of “systemic failures” in disclosing evidence after a £500,000 red diesel excise duty fraud trial collapsed. A linked trial also had to be abandoned due to errors on the part of investigating officers from HMRC. HMRC said it accepted the failings and was working with the CPS to learn from the incident. In December 2013, HMRC raided tanker driver Peter Norton’s home. He was charged with others with conspiracy by selling nearly £500,000 of laundered so-called red diesel fuel. Red diesel is only legal for off-road vehicles such as tractors and has a much lower duty rate. The fraud involving the fuel works by removing the red dye to make it look like regular diesel before the fuel is then sold on fraudulently at the higher VAT rate. Peter Norton has always denied any wrongdoing.
The Times of India on 29th April reported that Tramadol, a painkiller pharmaceutical drug, has been declared a “psychotropic substance” by the government and its sale in the country will now be strictly monitored after the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) said it was being internationally smuggled, and had possible supply links to the global terror group ISIS. The synthetic opiate is known to be abused on a wide scale by terrorists of the so-called ISIS to suppress pain and boost strength during injury and hence, is also known as the ‘fighter drug’ among international anti-narcotics authorities.
All Africa on 29th April reported that Somalia will host a 2-day international conference in May aimed at stopping the illegal charcoal trade in the Horn of Africa nation and which will bring together Somali environment experts and international donor partners, will discuss ways of stopping the illegal trade, unsustainable production and use of charcoal in the country. According to the UN, 8.2 million trees were cut down for charcoal in Somalia between 2011 and 2017, increasing land degradation and food insecurity, and illegal trade in charcoal acts as major source of funding for militias and terrorist groups such as al-Shabab.
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