What happens to some Northern European banks such as Abn Amro, Danske Bank, Deutsche Bank and Ing. All the details (and the crimes according to the magistrates)
And the annus horribilis of Northern European banks. After Danske Bank, Deutsche Bank, Swedbank and Ing, Dutchman Abn Amro also finds himself vulnerable to money laundering and ends up under investigation in the Netherlands.
This is what Il Sole 24 Ore writes today on the basis of the latest facts, starting from the most recent cases that have invested in these days, for example, Abn Amro and Danske Bank. WHAT HAPPENED TO DANSKE BANK
The former CEO of Danske Bank in Estonia, Aivar Rehe, was found dead near his home by the Tallinn police. The man, who has been missing since Monday, had testified in the $ 220 billion international investigation into money laundering involving the Danish institute. Rehe was not under investigation. A police spokesman reported that “there are no signs of violence on the body and no indication that it was an accident”. Circumstances for which the local media in these hours speak of suicide, writes the Agi. WHO WAS AIVAR REHE
Aivar Rehe joined the Estonian branch of Danske Bank in 2007 and later became CEO, a position he held until 2015. A spokesperson for Danske Bank said the institution was saddened by the news: “Our thoughts are with family. ”, Emphasizes in a note the largest bank in Denmark. The investigation for recycling started in the United States in early 2018, when a possible recycling operation was found. THE INVESTIGATIONS
The investigation then expanded to other countries – Great Britain, Denmark and Estonia – for suspicious payments. The scandal centers on the management of money from Russia, Azerbaijan and Moldova. International financier Bill Browder, now a British citizen and one of the fiercest critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has long argued that Danske’s Estonian branch was “one of the main channels for fraud.” WHAT HAPPENED TO ABN AMRO
And why Abn Amro is also in the eye of the storm
The Dutch institute, 56% controlled by the state, and suspected by the Amsterdam magistrates of not having respected the anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism laws and of having turned a blind eye to the suspicious transactions transited by the bank. Operations that were either not reported or were communicated very late to the competent authorities and ended up being ineffective. THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST ABN AMRO
However, the launch of the investigation into money laundering and terrorist financing is not news that Abn Amro did not expect, quite the contrary. The Dutch bank knew it would come sooner or later, but did not know when. This was revealed by the spokesman of the Dutch bank himself: “We have also always been clear that an investigation like this could have occurred and we too felt the desire to have to improve”. After receiving an order from the Dutch central bank for possible money laundering operations or other illegal activities, in August Abn Amro warned of the possibility of facing fines for money laundering ” RECYCLING DOSSIER
The problem of recycling in the Netherlands is, by the way, quite well known. So much so that after various inquiries, investigators last year estimated that around 13 billion euros were laundered annually across the country between 2004 and 2014, an amount equivalent to around 2% of Dutch GDP. Furthermore, in March, Dutch prosecutors said they assessed signs of Dutch banks’ involvement in a money laundering network that would funnel billions of euros from Russia. THE WORDS OF THE GOVERNMENT
On the news of the start of the investigation against ABN AMRO, Dutch Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra also spoke: “It is extremely worrying that ABN AMRO is being investigated by prosecutors. The government is determined to fight money laundering and the banks have an important guardian function in keeping criminals out. ”Finally, it should not be forgotten that another well-known banking group in the Netherlands, Ing was convicted last year. to pay a fine of approximately 775 million euros for charges similar to those on which the investigation against ABN AMRO is based. NOT ONLY ABNL AMRO IN THE NETHERLANDS
Narrowing our gaze to Holland, it turns out that the country’s top three banking institutions have ended up at the center of money laundering investigations in recent months. Abn Amro and in fact only the latest in chronological order, Il Sole 24 Ore wrote today. THE CASE ING
The financial group Ing – last year – agreed to pay a fine of 675 million euros to the Dutch authorities who had been investigating, since last year, for criminal activities including money laundering and corruption. The group informs this in a note explaining that the bank will also return 100 million obtained illegally. Ing Ralph Hamers’ CEO acknowledged “the bank’s full responsibility” for failing to meet the “highest requirements” of crime prevention in its operations between 2010 and 2016. The group also announced that it has taken steps towards some senior citizens. executives including the suspension and withdrawal of bonuses. WHAT THE SUN 24 ORE HAS WRITTEN
According to the Dutch Banking Association, 16 billion euros (1.9% of GDP) are laundered annually in the Netherlands from criminal activities: “Faced with pressure from the Government and the Central Bank to make the fight more stringent to money laundering, a few days ago the top five banking institutions in the country (Ing, Rabobank, Abn Amro, Triodos Bank and Volksbank) announced the creation of an organization that will monitor the 10 billion transactions that pass through the five banks every year ” , wrote Il Sole 24 Ore.
