Information on the results of the State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine in 2016
The State Financial Monitoring Service of Ukraine as FIU of 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 2016 SFMS produced 591 case referrals and additional referrals (of which 269 referrals and 322 additional referrals) that were submitted to:
Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine – 34 case referrals and 139 additional case referrals;
National Police of Ukraine – 66 case referrals and 41 additional case referrals;
State Fiscal Service of Ukraine – 83 case referrals and 46 additional case referrals;
Security Service of Ukraine – 61 case referrals and 50 additional case referrals;
National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine – 25 case referrals and 46 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 UAH 45.8 billion.
At the same time, over the whole period of conduction investigations (March 2014 – December 2016) on counteraction to legalization (laundering) of the proceeds from crime, terrorist financing and financing of proliferation of weapon of mass destruction, the FIU of Ukraine has prepared 1 953 case referrals and additional case referrals (of them 1033 case referrals and 920 additional case referrals).
The total amount of financial operations that may be related to legalization of proceeds from crime in these referrals equals 449.8 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.
There were 547 materials (109 case referrals and 438 additional case referrals) prepared and submitted to law enforcement agencies of Ukraine over the whole period of investigation (March, 2014 – December, 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 201.7 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 1,54 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 107,19 million, EUR 15,87 million and CHF 135,01 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 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 31 materials (20 case referrals and 11 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 financing of terrorism (separatism) is USD 340.4million.
During about mentioned period due to the taken measures concerning prevention and counteraction terrorist financing (separatism) SFMS detected and blocked funds totaling USD 9,7million, RUB1,0 million and UAH 173,1 million. The total amount of blocked funds is UAH 429.08 million.
At the same time, over the whole period of conduction investigations (March 2014 – December 2016) on counteraction to legalization (laundering) of the proceeds from crime, terrorist financing and financing of proliferation of weapon of mass destruction, the FIU of Ukraine has prepared and submitted to the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine 152 materials (of them 114 case referrals and 38 additional case referrals).
In these materials the total amount of financial transactions that may be related to money laundering and financing of terrorism (separatism) is UAH 4.1 billion.
In addition, SFMS on a permanent basis identifies newly appointed "so-called" officials of "DNR" and "LNR", actualized the list of "so-called" officials of "DNR" and "LNR" and also tracked down their accounts in Ukrainian banking institutions.
For the mentioned period the funds equivalent to UAH 28.54 million were revealed and blocked on the accounts of the named persons.
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, 27 – April, 8, 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.
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.
For the present time, in the framework of preparation to the evaluation, the SFMS’s:
- provided the MONEYVAL Secretariat with the information on the progress of Ukraine in the sphere of financial monitoring that become a background for examination by international experts during the 5th round of evaluation;
- organizes trainings and other educational events for the preparation of the national financial monitoring system participants to the evaluation.
Given the extreme urgency, including in terms of national security, preparation for the 5th round of evaluation by MONEYVAL is under constant control in SFMS
Press Service of the SFMS
presa@sdfm.gov.ua
www.sdfm.gov.ua