Al-Huda Bank faces severance from the U.S. financial system for being a conduit of terrorist financing, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, while its owner, Hamad al-Moussawi, was sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Sanctions
OFAC official urges company transparency on ransomware events
Despite its reputation as a fierce enforcer of sanctions, the Office of Foreign Assets Control has a softer side and wants to help companies that are hit with ransomware attacks, according to the agency’s senior compliance officer.
ICBC fined $32M by NYDFS, Fed over compliance lapses
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and its New York branch agreed to pay $32.4 million in penalties levied by two regulators for failing to address compliance failures and for the unauthorized disclosure of confidential supervisory information to an overseas regulator.
Genesis Global Trading fined $8M by NYDFS over AML, cyber lapses
Virtual currency brokerage firm Genesis Global Trading agreed to pay an $8 million penalty levied by the New York State Department of Financial Services for alleged compliance failures that left it vulnerable to illicit activity and cybersecurity threats.
Binance.US names new chief compliance officer
Cryptocurrency trading platform Binance.US, an affiliate independent of its embattled parent company, announced the appointment of Lesley O’Neill as chief compliance officer.
PURE Insurance to pay $466K in OFAC sanctions case
Insurance organization Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange agreed to pay $466,200 as part of a settlement with the Office of Foreign Assets Control addressing alleged sanctioned transactions on behalf of designated Ukrainian-Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
Top ethics and compliance failures of 2023
A virtual currency exchange that sought to mislead regulators, banks failing after ignoring obvious risks, and a manufacturer that sold millions of its products in violation of U.S. export controls are among those that make up CW’s list of the biggest ethics and compliance fails of 2023.
CoinList to pay $1.2M to settle Crimea sanctions violations
Virtual currency exchange CoinList Markets agreed to pay more than $1.2 million to settle allegations from the Office of Foreign Assets Control that it violated U.S. sanctions by processing transactions for customers located in the Crimea region of Ukraine.
New U.K. office eyeing 2024 to enforce trade sanctions
The U.K. government is set to establish a new agency to enforce trade sanctions and provide compliance guidance to businesses regarding the country’s sanctions regimes.
Five compliance triumphs from 2023
A financial services giant’s compliance mea culpa that could serve to benefit the rest of the profession, a chemical company’s praised FCPA settlement, and an example of the value of whistleblowers highlight CW’s annual list of laudable ethics and compliance moments.


