All Middle East articles
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In-depth reportInside a Dark Pact: A timeline of events
Amid Syria’s descent into civil war, Lafarge’s quest to keep its $680 million cement plant running led to secret deals with terrorists—and ultimately, a historic U.S. Department of Justice prosecution for aiding ISIS.
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In-depth reportInside a Dark Pact: Danger of their own making and a critical series of missteps
Paris-based cement maker Lafarge thought it was saving a plant—instead, it built a pipeline to the Islamic State of Syria.
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In-depth reportInside a Dark Pact: Background and evolution of a scheme
Middlemen were used and invoices were falsified, but the trail remained. French cement maker Lafarge’s Syrian cement plant began as a business in a war zone, but it soon spiraled into a revenue-sharing agreement with ISIS that led to historic charges of financing terrorism.
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In-depth reportInside a Dark Pact: Lafarge’s terrorist funding and compliance fallout in Syria
Compliance Week’s latest case study investigates French cement maker Lafargeʼs collapse into criminal conduct detailing how sidelining ethics and compliance can lead companies into dangerous territory. What began as “local concessions” ended in funding terrorism—and a historic legal and reputational disaster.
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News BriefFreight forwarder fined $1.6M after using OFAC-blocked Venezuelan, Iranian carriers
A Houston-based freight forwarder, Fracht FWO Inc., will pay $1.6 million for violating U.S. sanctions tied to Venezuela and Iran, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The fine comes as OFAC ramps up enforcement in recent months.
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OpinionCross-border compliance: Lessons from the UAE for a globalized financial system
Financial ecosystems are no longer confined within national boundaries. Money, technology, and risks flow seamlessly across jurisdictions, creating unprecedented challenges for compliance officers. From sanctions and anti-money laundering (AML) obligations to the rise of virtual assets, the compliance function must now navigate a complex, cross-border landscape where regulators, institutions, and ...
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News BriefInteractive Brokers to pay $11.8M to settle thousands of U.S. sanction violations
A brokerage and investment firm will pay $11.8 million for providing services to individuals under U.S. sanctions, as well as people located in countries sanctioned by the U.S.
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News BriefOFAC fines Harman Industries $1.4M for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran
A Connecticut-based audio electronics company will pay a $1.4 million fine for violating U.S. sanctions, after middle managers at a foreign distributor knowingly diverted the company’s products to Iran.
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News BriefVenture capital firm self-reports sanctions violations of M&A target to DOJ, receives declination
After self-reporting that a recently purchased subsidiary broke U.S. sanctions and export control laws, a Texas-based venture capital fund will receive no penalty from the U.S. Department of Justice.
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PremiumRTX and Raytheon: A case study in juggling four compliance monitors
In October 2024, aerospace and defense company Raytheon and parent company RTX reached a $950 million settlement with U.S. government agencies to resolve multiple federal law violations. More significant than the criminal penalties were the four compliance monitorships that came with the agreements.
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News BriefPCAOB fines PwC Israel $2.75M amid ongoing sweep for internal training exam cheating
The Israeli affiliate of Big Four audit firm PwC agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle allegations it failed to prevent widespread cheating on training examinations despite internal warnings to staff about an ongoing crackdown.
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News BriefTop 5 risks for 2025: U.S. uncertainty, global trade war, digital attacks
A prominent risk management firm has issued its predictions for the top five risks for business in 2025, along with guidance for how organizations should prepare and respond.
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Blog
Tokinvest appoints chief compliance officer
Tokinvest, a marketplace that connects real-world asset issuers with investors, announced the appointment of Mike Mingee as chief compliance officer and money laundering reporting officer.
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OpinionEricsson's 'integrity journey' post-FCPA settlement top compliance triumph of 2024
It’s been a long “integrity journey” for Ericsson, according to the company’s Head of Compliance Global Affairs Alison Howell. Since settling with the DOJ over FCPA violations in 2019, the company has gone through a "business critical transformation," resulting in the end of its compliance monitorship.
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News BriefMinnesota transport company hit with sanctions violations for Cuba, Iran trade
A Minnesota transportation company agreed to pay nearly $258,000 to settle allegations that a subsidiaries violated sanctions against Cuba and Iran more than 80 times, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said.
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PremiumU.K., EU enforcement regimes set to escalate, but critics question sanctions’ effectiveness
With a new political regime ready to take over in the U.S., the effectiveness of sanctions against malign foreign actors like Russia, North Korea, and Iran have come into question. While the European Union and U.K. have increased sanctions pressure, critics have publicly asked: Is it enough?
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OpinionGerman firm Aiotec to pay $14.5M to settle Iran sanctions violation
German petrochemical parts supplier Aiotec agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle allegations that it engaged in a four-year conspiracy to dismantle and ship a plastics manufacturing plant owned by a U.S. company to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions.
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PremiumTop ethics and compliance failures of 2024
The biggest Compliance Fails of 2024 show the real-world consequences of noncompliance for the companies that faltered, but also for their customers and their employees.
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News BriefMetLife subsidiary fined $178K by OFAC for issuing premiums to Iran-controlled entities
A subsidiary of MetLife will pay more than $178,000 for violating U.S. sanctions on Iran when it provided insurance policies to entities in the United Arab Emirates owned or controlled by Iran.
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News BriefDOJ proposes rule that would block sale of Americans’ personal data to Chinese, Russian firms
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has proposed a new rule that would regulate the use of Americans’ personal information by foreign companies and foreign persons in six “countries of concern,” prohibiting and restricting the sale of data to thwart the use of data for cyber-enabled activities, espionage, coercion, influence and ...