EC reaction to Alfred Sant’s remarks it targets smaller banks while turning a blind eye on bigger European banks

A spokesman for the European Commission and for the European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova declined to comment after Maltese MEP Alfred Sant declared that the EC targets smaller banks in small EU states like Malta, while turning a blind eye on such crimes at bigger European banks. The EC spokesman told KYC 360 that ‘the Commission does not comment on comments,’ and pointed to the Commission request for Maltese anti-money laundering watchdog to step up supervision of banks.
KYC360 is the global financial crime and compliance hub powered by KYC Global Technologies – one of the world’s fastest growing technology businesses committed to eliminating financial crime through smart customer screening and data analytics technology.

KYC360 reported that the European Commission has been accused by the former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP of being biased in its approach to tackling money laundering.

“Alfred Sant singled European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova, saying she never mentions banking giants that have been involved in money launderings scandals, such as Deutsche Bank, but chooses instead to focus on small banks based in places like Malta.”
KYC360 said the European Central Bank recently withdrew Maltese-based Pilatus Bank’s licence following allegations of money laundering and the US arrest of its founder for allegedly violating sanctions.
“Doesn’t it sound curious that you suddenly start talking about a very small bank in a very small country and not about Deutsche Bank and Danske Bank. Let us also focus on the big fish, the big fish haven’t been mentioned by Madam Jourova for instance … [There are many cases in Germany, France,] they don’t get mentioned,” KYC360 quoted Alfred Sant telling France 24.
KYC360 asked Alfred Sant to clarify his remarks as it said there were instances when Commissioner Jourova has discussed the Danske issue.
“It’s not a question of mentioning or not mentioning scandals when they happen. It’s a question of launching investigations with much pr into systemic abuses on a European scale and the equivalent. Ms Jourova did it very happily and with full publicity, for the relatively minor case of Pilatus Bank in Malta as well as the relatively minor Maltese financial sector, but hardly did likewise (not just “mentioning”) in the cases of Danske, Deutsche etc,” Alfred Sant told KYC360.
Both Deutsche and Danske banks have been mired in money laundering scandals. Last year the former agreed to pay British and American authorities €620 million in penalties. Danske Bank recently said that its Estonian branch had processed around €200 billion in suspicious funds over a number of years, much of which is thought to have been laundered, observed KYC360.

Maltese Version – IL-KUMMISSJONI EWROPEA DWAR L-AKKUŻI TA’ ALFRED SANT LI TAQBAD MA’ BANEK ŻGĦAR U TAGĦLAQ GĦAJNEJHA GĦALL-ĦASIL TA’ FLUS MINN BANEK EWROPEJ IL-KBAR

‘NO COMMENT’

Kelliem għal Kummissjoni Ewropea u Kummissarju Ewropew għal Ġustizzja Vera Jourova għażlet li ma tikkummentax wara li Alfred Sant iddikjara li l-Kummissjoni taqbad ma’ banek żgħar fi stati membri żgħar bħal Malta, iżda tagħlaq għajnejha għall-atti kriminali li jsiru mill-banek Ewropej il-kbar. Kelliem għal KE qal lil KYC 360 li ‘Il-Kummissjoni ma tikkummentax fuq kummenti’, u irrefera għat-talba tal-Kummissjoni biex id-Dipartiment Malti ta’ kontra l-ħasil ta’ flus iżid is-sorveljanza fuq il-banek f’pajjiżna.

KYC360 hija ċentru globali kontra l-kriminalita` finanzjarja u l-konformita` mħaddma minn Global Technologies – waħda mill-akbar intrapriżi li qed tikber b’rata mgħaġġla fid-dinja u impenjata biex telimina l-kriminalita` finanzjarja permezz ta’ ‘screening’ intelliġenti tal-klijenti u analiżi teknoloġika tad-data.

KYC360 irrapportaw li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea ġiet akkużata mill-ex Prim Ministru Malti li hija preġudikata dwar investigazzjonijiet ta’ attivitajiet ta’ ħasil ta’ flus.

“Alfred Sant semma speċifikament lill-Kummissarju Ewropew għall-Ġustizzja Vera Jourova, u qal li qatt ma ssemmi ġganti bankarji involuti fi skandli ta’ ħasil ta’ flus, bħal Deutsche Bank, iżda tagħżel minflok li tiffoka fuq banek żgħar ibbażati f’pajjiżi bħal Malta.”

KYC360 qalet li l-Bank Ċentrali Ewropew riċentement irtira l-liċenzja tal-Bank Pilatus ibbażat f’Malta wara allegazzjonijiet ta’ ħasil ta’ flus u l-arrest, mill-Istati Uniti, tal-fundatur tiegħu wara allegazzjoni ta’ vjolazzjoni tas-sanzjonijiet.
“Mhux kurjuża li f’daqqa waħda tibda tisma’ fuq bank ċkejken f’pajjiż ċkejken u mhux fuq Deutsche Bank jew Danske Bank. Ejja niffokaw ukoll fuq il-ħut il-kbir, il-ħut il-kbir ma jissemmiex mis-Sinjura Jourova pereżempju….[Jeżistu ħafna eżempji fil-Ġermanja u fi Franza] u ma jissemmewx,” KYC360 ikkwotat lil Alfred Sant meta intervistat minn France 24.
KYC360 talbet lil Alfred Sant jiċċara l-istqarrija tiegħu għax qalet li kien hemm mumenti fejn il-Kummissarju Jourova ddiskutiet il-kwistjoni tad-Danske.
“Il-kwistjoni mhix li ssemmi jew ma ssemmix l-iskandli meta jseħħu. Il-kwistjoni hija l-ftuħ ta’ investigazzjonijiet b’ħafna pompa fil-media ta’ abbużi sistematiċi fuq skala Ewropea jew ekwivalenti. Is-Sinjura Jourova kienet kuntenta tagħmilha b’pubbliċita` sħiħa, għal każ relattivament żgħir tal-Bank Pilatus f’Malta kif ukoll fil-każ tas-settur finanzjarju relattivament żgħir ta’ Malta iżda bilkemm għamlet l-istess (mhux “issemmihom” biss) fil-każijiet tad-Danske, Deutsche etc,” Alfred Sant wieġeb lil KYC360.

Kemm Deutsche u kemm Danske Bank tħammġu fi skandli ta’ ħasil ta’ flus. Is-sena l-oħra Deutsche qabel li jħallas lil Awtoritajiet Brittaniċi u Amerikani s-somma ta’ €620 miljun f’penalitajiet. Riċentement Danske Bank qal li l-fergħa tiegħu fl-Estonja ipproċessat madwar €200 biljun ta’ flus ta’ oriġini suspettużi fuq numru ta’ snin. Huwa maħsub li ħafna minnhom huwa maħsula, irrapportat KYC360.