Information on the results of SFMS in January - August 2016
The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine as FIU Ukraine, taking enhanced measures on counteraction to legalization (laundering) of criminal proceeds from crime, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Particularly during the 8 months of 2016 SFMS produced 419 case referralsand additional referrals (of which 186 referrals and 233 additional referrals) that were submitted to:
· Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine – 28 case referrals and 95 additional case referrals;
· National Police of Ukraine – 43 case referrals and 31 additional case referrals;
· State Fiscal Service of Ukraine – 60 case referrals and 37 additional case referrals;
· Security Service of Ukraine – 37 case referrals and 43 additional case referrals;
· National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine – 18 case referrals and 27 additional case referrals.
In these materials the total amount of financial transactions that may be related to money laundering and commitment another crime, as defined by the Criminal Code of Ukraine, is 33.76 billion. UAH.
The FIU of Ukraine carries on its active work on investigation of money laundering, derived from corruption activities and embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds and property by former President of Ukraine V. Yanukovych, his relatives , officials of former government of the country and their associated persons, as well as of people, involved in the deliberate mass murder of people in Ukraine.
Thus, over the period Financial Intelligence Unit of Ukraine prepared and submitted65 materials (6 case referrals and 59 additional case referrals) on financial operations, performed with the involvement of former President of Ukraine V. Yanukovych, his associated persons and officials of former government and authorities.
The total amount of financial operations that may be related to legalization of proceeds from crime in these materials equals 115,24 million UAH.
There were 461 materials (85 case referrals and 376 additional case referrals) prepared and submitted to law enforcement agencies of Ukraine over the whole period of investigation (March, 2016 – August, 2016) on financial operations performed by former officials.
The total amount of financial operations that may be related to legalization of proceeds from crime or may be related to other crimes equals 199,4 billion UAH.
As a result of measures taken by SFMS during the investigations against former senior officials related to Yanukovych V.F, funds on the accounts of natural persons and legal entities that equivalent to sum of 1,52 billion USD were blocked.
The special attention of SFMS is paid to search and freezing of assets that belongs to former officials abroad.
Thus, during the investigations conducted by FIUs of other countries, were reported about freezing assets of former officials and related to them persons, totaling USD 107,2 million, EUR 15,9 million and CHF 135,0 million in the following countries: Austria, Great Britain, Latvia, Cyprus, Italy, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Netherlands.
The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine (as financial intelligence unit) in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine carry out measures aimed at preventing and counteracting terrorist financing (separatism) according to Ukrainian legislation.
The SFMS as a result of analysis of the received information for 8 months of 2016, prepared and submitted to the Security Service of Ukraine and Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine for consideration and decision formulation pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine 20 materials (12 case referrals and 8 additional case referrals). According to the information of law enforcement agencies concerning financial transactions of individuals that might be related to terrorist financing (separatism) and/or individuals that publicly calling to change or overthrow of the constitutional order and state borders of Ukraine with use of violence.
In these materials the total amount of financial transactions that may be related to money laundering and commitment another crime, as defined by the Criminal Code of Ukraine, is USD 300.02 million.
During about mentioned period due to the taken measures concerning prevention and counteraction terrorist financing (separatism) SFMS detected and blocked funds totaling USD 9,7 million, RUB1,0 million and UAH 173,1 million.The total amount of blocked funds is UAH 429.08 million.
In addition SFMS on a permanent basis identifies newly appointed " so-called" officials of "DNR" and "LNR".
Thus for 8 months of 2016 list of "so-called" officials of "DNR" and "LNR" was actualized and also their accounts in Ukraine banking institutions tracked down.
However, SFMS continues to cooperate with international institutions such as Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL), European Union, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Egmont group of financial intelligence units, the United Nations.
Nowadays, a lot of attention is paid to work SFMS within the Committee MONEYVAL, as a key office of the Council of Europe on combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
In March - April 2017 the fifth round of evaluation of prevention and combating money laundering and terrorist financing in Ukraine by the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) is planned.
Giventheextremeurgency, includingintermsofnationalsecurity, preparationforthe 5 throundofevaluationbyMONEYVALisunderconstantcontrolinSFMS.
In order to intensify this work SFMS supported by the Government of Ukraine established Working Group on preparations for the 5th round of evaluation of MONEYVAL, among top managers of public bodies.
At presenttime, SFMS summarizes the information of the state bodies on the progress of Ukraine in the AML/CFT area for further submission to the MONEYVAL Secretariat, which is one of the important conditions for the further success of the 5th round of evaluation.
In addition, SFMS has almost completed work on the preparation of the National Risk Assessment’s Report in the area of prevention and counteraction to legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime and terrorist financing.