British bank HSBC in money laundering probe

US prosecutors probing whether HSBC was involved in laundering money for Mexican drug cartels and moving cash for Saudi banks tied to terrorists. The New York Times reported Saturday.

Citing unnamed federal authorities with direct knowledge of the investigations, the newspaper said the investigators were also probing whether HSBC circumvented US law by transferring money through its American subsidiary for sanctioned nations, including Iran, Sudan and North Korea.

Last month, HSBC announced that its Mexico unit had paid a fine totalling $27.5-million to Mexico's banking regulators for breaching anti-money laundering controls.

Earlier, HSBC apologised and a senior executive resigned after US lawmakers accused Europe's biggest bank of giving Iran, terrorists and drug dealers access to America's financial system. In a 330-page report, the US Senate found the lender allowed affiliates in countries such as Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh to move billions of dollars in suspect funds into the United States without adequate controls. The report said HSBC's Mexican affiliate "transported $7.0 billion in physical US dollars to HBUS from 2007 to 2008… raising red flags that the volume of dollars included proceeds from illegal drug sales in the United States." According to The Times, eager to resolve the investigation, HSBC reached out to federal prosecutors in July in hopes of securing a settlement by September.

But officials said a settlement in the next couple of weeks was highly unlikely, the paper pointed out. – Sapa-AFP

Source: Mail & Guardian

Statement by the G-8, the leaders of Brazil, China, India, Mexico, South Africa,

We are outraged by the barbaric terrorist acts, carried out on 11 July 2006 in Mumbai and other parts of India. We stand in solidarity with the Government and the people of India and express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families.

We are determined to continue the fight against terrorism by all legitimate means. We express our readiness to undertake all necessary measures to bring to justice perpetrators, organizers, sponsors оf these and other terrorist acts, and those who incited the perpetrators to commit them. We shall do it in accordance with our obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, refugee law and humanitarian law.

We are united with India in our resolve to intensify efforts to fight terrorism which constitutes a threat to each of our country, as well as to international peace and security.

Source: G8 Summit 2006, St.Petersburg, 17 July, 2006