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Dutch Prosecutors Move Toward Legal Action Against Rabobank Over Compliance Failures
The public prosecution department is preparing to initiate legal proceedings against Rabobank over its alleged failure to adhere to regulations concerning money laundering and the financing of terrorism. According to a brief statement released on Wednesday, the bank did not adequately examine “unusual transactions” conducted by its clients over an extended period. The investigation, which is approaching its final stages, focuses on activities spanning from October 2016 throug
6 days ago1 min read


Leonteq Delays Management Discharge Amid Allegations of Misleading Disclosures and Compliance Weaknesses
Swiss financial services firm Leonteq has announced a notable revision to the agenda of its upcoming Annual General Meeting, withdrawing the item related to granting discharge to its board of directors and executive management. The move comes after a period of sustained media attention and scrutiny, with reports from Cash.ch confirming that the board decided to postpone the formal release of management from liability. At the same time, investigative reporting by Inside Parade
7 days ago5 min read


AMF Imposes €450,000 Penalty on Kerdiz Finance Over AML and Compliance Failures
A €450,000 penalty handed down by the AMF against Kerdiz Finance et Conseil and its senior managers has brought to light significant shortcomings in anti-money laundering controls, alongside broader regulatory breaches. The ruling targets an investment advisory firm that failed to comply with multiple obligations under French law, with authorities identifying serious weaknesses in due diligence, transaction monitoring, governance structures, and client protection measures. Th
7 days ago5 min read


Binance Australia Derivatives Hit With $10 Million Penalty Over Compliance Breaches
Oztures Trading, operating under the name Binance Australia Derivatives, has been ordered to pay a $10,000,000 penalty following a federal court ruling that exposed serious compliance shortcomings in its operations. The legal action was brought by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), which found that the firm had incorrectly classified hundreds of retail clients as wholesale investors, depriving them of key consumer protections and required disclosur
Apr 24 min read


Merricks Solicitors Penalized After AML Failures Expose Gaps in Compliance Systems
Merricks Solicitors Limited has reached a regulatory settlement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority following an investigation that revealed substantial weaknesses in its defenses against financial crime. The agreement arises from the firm’s failure to maintain critical records required under national anti-money laundering regulations, a lapse that ultimately led to disciplinary action. By accepting the outcome and agreeing to pay the costs associated with the investigat
Mar 316 min read


SRA Settlement with Ranson Houghton LLP Highlights Longstanding AML Compliance Failures
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has concluded a regulatory settlement with Ranson Houghton LLP following an extensive investigation into the firm’s anti-money laundering systems, bringing the matter to a close in March 2026. The outcome followed a desk-based review conducted by the regulator’s proactive supervision team, which uncovered persistent and long-running compliance deficiencies. Central to the findings was the firm’s failure to maintain a properly documented fir
Mar 306 min read


EBA Report Highlights Progress and Ongoing Challenges in EU Banks’ MREL Compliance
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has released its second Impact Assessment Report on the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL), examining how the framework has affected banks across the European Union, as well as its influence on markets and funding structures. According to the findings, banks within the EU have continued to strengthen their MREL positions while also improving their access to financial markets, with minimal disruption to their
Mar 262 min read


Uganda Moves Toward Centralised Payment Gateway for Gambling Sector, With Heavy Penalties Proposed for Non-Compliance
Uganda’s authorities are urging the country’s gambling operators to prepare for the introduction of a proposed Centralised Payment System that could soon reshape how betting transactions are conducted nationwide. The system, which is awaiting parliamentary approval, would impose strict requirements on operators and carries a potential penalty of UGX110 million (€26,268) for those who fail to comply. The proposed payment gateway would be licensed by the Bank of Uganda and
Mar 102 min read


OFSI Details Compliance Failures Behind £160,000 Bank of Scotland Fine, Emphasizes Lessons for Sanctions Enforcement
Officials from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) have returned to the enforcement action against Bank of Scotland Plc, providing a detailed breakdown of the compliance lapses that resulted in a £160,000 fine. The case, linked to the UK’s Russia sanctions regime, underscores how even minor technical oversights in screening processes can allow sanctioned individuals to move capital undetected. By analyzing failures in automated systems and internal escalat
Feb 264 min read


Austrian Regulator Freezes KuCoin EU Operations Over Compliance Failures Amid Broader Global Scrutiny
Austria’s chief financial watchdog, Financial Market Authority of Austria, has delivered a decisive administrative ruling against KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH, effectively blocking the cryptocurrency platform from onboarding new clients or rolling out new products after identifying serious deficiencies in its internal governance structure. The enforcement action followed the regulator’s determination that the company no longer retained the mandatory personnel required to oversee r
Feb 254 min read


Isle of Man Regulator Fines Shelgeyr Limited £200,000 Over Major AML and CFT Compliance Failures
The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has released a public enforcement statement detailing serious regulatory violations committed by Shelgeyr Limited, the company behind the Maverick Games brand. The action followed a comprehensive regulatory inspection that uncovered numerous breaches of the Gambling Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Code 2019. Investigators determined that the operator did not sustain adequate safeguards against fin
Feb 174 min read


Binance’s Billion-Dollar Iran Exposure Raises New Questions About AML Failures and Compliance Culture
The international financial sector has been shaken once again by revelations tied to the $4.3 billion settlement that was originally intended to transform how Binance manages high-risk financial activity. New reporting published in February 2026 indicates that more than $1 billion in funds associated with Iranian actors allegedly flowed through the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange between early 2024 and late 2025. The situation underscores a growing conflict between
Feb 174 min read


UK Law Firm Fined £10,462 Over Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Failures
Castle Sanderson Limited has been ordered to pay a financial penalty of 10,462 pounds after reaching a regulatory settlement with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The Leeds-based legal practice, which offers services including conveyancing, wills, and probate, was sanctioned following an investigation that identified ongoing deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) systems. Regulators found that the firm failed to maintain sufficient internal policies and did
Feb 114 min read


Curacao Gaming Authority Grants Extension on Local Substance Compliance Under Revised LOK
The Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA) has confirmed that operators licensed under the updated Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK) will receive additional time to meet the law’s local substance requirements, extending the effective deadline by more than a year. In a notice dated January 23, 2026, the regulator stated that the Minister of Justice had exercised the discretion provided under Article 5.12, paragraph 6 of the LOK to grant a general extension for all affected opera
Jan 273 min read


AUSTRAC Orders External AML/CTF Audit of Airwallex Over Compliance Concerns
The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) has mandated an external audit of global payments platform Airwallex following concerns over serious non-compliance with financial crime regulations. AUSTRAC Chief Executive Officer Brendan Thomas announced the regulatory action on January 22, 2026, citing potential failures in the company’s management of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) obligations. The audit, conducted under sect
Jan 263 min read


MP Technology Services Ltd Hit With CAD 536,853 Penalty Over Serious AML Compliance Breaches
MP Technology Services Ltd, a key subsidiary of crypto payments firm MoonPay Inc, has been levied an administrative monetary penalty totaling CAD 536,853.35 after regulators concluded the company committed multiple compliance failures within Canada’s financial system. The enforcement decision was finalized on November 20, 2025, and publicly disclosed in mid-December following a detailed compliance review by national financial authorities. The company, which is incorporated
Dec 22, 20255 min read


Football Governance Collides With Sanctions Law as FIFA Payment Orders Create Compliance Tension
European football has been pulled into an extraordinary compliance conflict after a series of FIFA rulings — compounded by the existence of the FIFA Clearing House as a centralised payment system — placed clubs under pressure that closely resembled the dynamics typically associated with sanctions-evasion exposure. These decisions arrived while EU, UK, and US sanctions regimes barred payments to a range of Russian clubs and their banking partners, shutting down all lawful paym
Dec 10, 20254 min read


FINTRAC Penalizes Griffin Jewellery Designs Inc. CAD 771,000 for Major FINTRAC Compliance Failures
Griffin Jewellery Designs Inc. has been hit with a CAD 771,000 penalty after FINTRAC uncovered extensive shortcomings in the company’s anti–money laundering controls. Operating across multiple Canadian provinces, the retailer was examined for its adherence to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, and the findings revealed deep-rooted structural failures rather than isolated mistakes. The case, now closed following full payment of the penalty, s
Dec 9, 20254 min read
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