Day: July 24, 2018

OCCRP on 24^th July reported that after 30 people were arrested in the dubbed “cigarette scandal,” the new Prime Minister is facing pressure to tackle high-level government corruption and MPs are calling for officials who supposedly aided the criminal group to be revealed.  Several tobacco farms in the Jordan valley have allegedly been producing counterfeit cigarettes for sale within the country, with profits yielding millions of dollars. Authorities identified the alleged leader as businessman, Awni Motee, who has fled the country.

https://www.occrp.org/en/27-ccwatch/cc-watch-briefs/8364-jordan-public-outrage-over-illegal-tobacco-operation

On 24^th July, HM Treasury published a Notice advising that, following the publication of EU Regulation 2018/1033/EU, the entries for Ayyub BASHIR and JEMMAH ANSHORUT TAUHID (JAT) have been amended.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728627/Notice_ISIL_2018_1033.pdf

On 24^th July, the Law Society Gazette reported that the CPS was consulting on changes to its Code for Prosecutors, that, in the light of recent controversy, that address disclosure issues that have emerged from cases that have collapsed over the past few months.  The consultation closes on 17^th September.

https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/law/prosecutors-told-to-consider-unused-material-in-proposed-changes-to-code/5067004.article

The consultation itself can be accessed at –

https://www.cps.gov.uk/consultation/consultation-code-crown-prosecutors-2018

A news release from the UN on 23^rd July reported that the following entities had been removed from the sanctions list maintained by the UN under UN SCR 1518 –

• IRAQI TOBACCO STATE ESTABLISHMENT (aka Iraqi TOBACCO STATE ENTERPRISE)
• MOSUL SUGAR STATE COMPANY (aka MOSUL SUGAR STATE ENTERPRISE)
• STATE ENTERPRISE FOR DAIRY PRODUCTS
  STATE ENTERPRISE FOR VEGETABLE OILS

https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13432.doc.htm

On 20^th July, law firm McCann Fitzgerald announced that Alan Heuston and Seán Dowling of the firm had co-authored the Irish chapter of The Gambling Law Review (Third Edition).  The chapter is available as a pdf download.

https://www.mccannfitzgerald.com/knowledge/tax/ireland-chapter-in-the-gambling-law-review-third-edition

On 23^rd July, the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that these Regulations are being laid before parliament and will revoke the domestic regulations which implement EU Directive 2014/60, relating to the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of EU Member States, so avoiding a one-sided obligation upon the UK to return cultural objects, in the event of ‘no deal’ with the EU upon exit.  Since 1993, the EU has had legislation providing for the return of cultural objects that have been unlawfully removed from the territory of another Member State.  The Directive aims to reconcile the principle of the free movement of goods with the protection of national treasures.

https://www.gov.uk/eu-withdrawal-act-2018-statutory-instruments/the-return-of-cultural-objects-revocation-regulations-2018

A HMRC Research Report published in March 2018 and says that the aim of PDDD is to act as a deterrent to individuals and businesses from deliberately defaulting on their tax obligations.  Amongst its many conclusions the report says that due to a very limited awareness of publication, PDDD was not seen as an effective deterrent against defaulting on tax obligations; and in terms of perceived impact, it was not expected to have any adverse effect on individuals.  The study found that less than half of the general public claimed they may avoid using businesses that have had their details published. However, the stated impact of publishing individuals’ details was much less – only 13% said they would stop socialising with somebody that had had their details published.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/726949/Evaluating_the_Effectiveness_of_Publishing_Details_of_Deliberate_Defaulters__Research_Report_499_.pdf

The Turks & Caicos Weekly News reported on 23^rd July that the first national AML strategy has been completed.  The National Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorist 2018-2019 Strategy will seek to improve the AML regime and ensure it meets FATF standards and is a 2-year framework document which will be used by private and public sector stakeholders to implement effective measures across the board to combat risks to the local financial sector.  The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) will assess the country’s AML legislative and regulatory framework in September.  The country is said to have been subject to scrutiny under the CFATF’s International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) review for years and has recently submitted a 13^th follow-up report on its efforts to combat money laundering.  It is said to no longer subject to the ICRG monitoring process.

http://tcweeklynews.com/tci-completes-first-antimoney-laundering-strategy-p8887-127.htm