Nov 13 Others

Swiss Banks Face Sanctions (irregularities in feezing assets of ousted leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203537304577029910012951288.html
NOVEMBER 11, 2011
By DEBORAH BALL

ZURICH—Swiss regulator Finma may discipline four banks for having what it called lax controls on accepting money from foreign public officials associated with deposed Middle Eastern and North African leaders, but generally found that the country's lenders complied with anti-money-laundering rules.

In a report released as Switzerland struggles to shed a reputation as a haven for kleptocrats looking to stash funds abroad, Finma said Thursday it found serious shortcomings in how four banks dealt with accounts held by foreign officials tied to former governments in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, including one bank that accepted seven-figure deposits from a public official who claimed to be semiretired. Finma, which declined to name the banks, will now consider disciplinary action.

Generally, Finma generally found little fault with the way Swiss banks handled money coming from these regimes, despite charges from activists that the country's banks don't do enough to keep out money from corrupt foreign officials and criminals. Finma's findings are also in contrast to a June inquiry by U.K. regulators, which found poor anti-money laundering practices at about three-fourths of British banks.

Early this year, following the toppling of regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, the Switzerland moved quickly to order banks to freeze assets associated with the governments, an action that ultimately affected about 830 million Swiss francs ($912 million). While the government's move was aimed at showing that Switzerland no longer welcomes money from corrupt public officials, the large amounts gave new life to accusations that Swiss banks do too little to ensure they are not accepting money from such people.

For decades, Switzerland's lax money-laundering standards and strict bank secrecy made it a favorite hiding place for corrupt foreign money. But under enormous international pressure, Switzerland—the world's largest offshore banking center with $2.1 trillion in foreign money under management—-has brought its money-laundering laws up to international standards over the last decade.

In the wake of Bern's order to freeze Egyptian, Tunisian and Libyan money, Finma examined whether the 20 Swiss banks that held such funds had complied with rules regulating the treatment of accounts held by foreign public officials. Those rules require banks to check on the origin of such funds to ensure the money doesn't come from illicit activity.

The 20 banks froze accounts belonging to 29 Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan officials. The government freezing order affected dozens of officials and family members tied to leaders in the three countries. Switzerland's Federal Prosecutor recently opened a corruption investigation into money associated with former Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

The Finma investigation, which began in March, found that most of the 20 banks complied with the rules, with minor shortcomings at only a handful of banks.

However, it found serious lapses at four banks, including one case in which seven-figure deposits weren't adequately investigated. Another bank failed to report an account held by a public official who was on the Swiss government's freeze list, while another took on a client after a rival bank terminated the relationship because of illegal transactions, Finma said.

While Switzerland generally complies with international anti-money standards, it has been criticized for the low number of suspicious transaction reports filed by banks, given the enormous amount of offshore money in Switzerland. The banking lobby has protested the government's orders to freeze assets this year and is pushing for limits on Bern's power to do so in the future.

Andre Rothenbuhler, head of Swiss activist group Aktion Finanzplatz Schweiz, criticized Finma for only examining the banks involved in this year's freeze. "We are disappointed by the results," he said. "They haven't gone very far." He also urged Finma to publish the names of the four banks found to be deficient once the inquiry is finished. Finma rarely names banks that are subject to regulatory action.

A Finma spokesman said the regulatory body examines how banks deal with foreign public officials as part of its annual supervisory reviews.

The Swiss findings are mild in comparison to the results of an inquiry by the U.K.'s Financial Services Authority, which found widespread deficiencies in anti-money laundering practices at British banks. In June, the FSA said it would likely pursue enforcement action against at least two banks.

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اعتصام للسريان في زحلة احتجاجا على سحب الجنسية من 24 عائلة
Validity of the sit-in protest in Zahle to withdraw citizenship from 24 families
http://www.lebanese-forces.org/local/syriac-24-families1005566.shtml
By NNA
Nov 13, 2011 - 7:03:13 AM

Zhalian carried out dozens of those who belong to the Syriac Orthodox community protested outside the Church of Our Lady in the industrial city of Zahle, in protest against the decision to withdraw the Lebanese nationality from a number of their families, in the presence of Syriac Orthodox Bishop Boulus Safar and a number of prominent social, economic and cultural rights.

Bishop Safar held a press conference, said: "Once again located Lebanese citizens vulnerable to arbitrary decrees, resolutions and unfair issued by the Lebanese state with no taking into account their interests and are not clear and transparent."

He added: "Today, after seventeen years was the decision to withdraw the Lebanese nationality from a small number of families who are powerless, under the pretext of correcting an error by the State, and did not find a way to correct, but error the largest leaves deep scars in their social and economic development. This lightness take such decisions and undone, it is evidence of anything, it shows the great confusion she experienced and is experiencing the Lebanese state and the greatest victim in all cases is the Lebanese citizen. "

He continued: "We are applying the laws fairly to everyone and, unfortunately, this time affects error Syriac community in Zahle unjustly, has been withdrawn from a twenty-four family Syriac in Zahle, without the face of the right and make sure not a question. I used the Syriac community in Lebanon the injustice that was in the field of public functions at all levels or representation to representation in the cabinet. But this injustice is unacceptable, the bulk of these families live in Zahle for more than fifty years, including since 1930, including the service of science.

It is without being summoned and told about any error in their papers, and with the security services has been achieved in their homes, the decision to revoke the citizenship without notifying them and inform them personally, which makes them surprised their names found in the Official Gazette so as not to benefit from the legal deadline for objection. "

He said: "If there is any fault when they were granted citizenship, there is a greater mistake in a check and a way to issue resolution, and the biggest mistake is not to convey to them personally, that this method is a political way, not a method of moral and legal and not fair, for the question of whether the withdrawal of the nationality from one of the relatives of ministers or deputies, or relatives of a politician? I do not think. "

He found that "bullying the weak is the easier of the measures taken in Lebanon, the Syrians and the Lebanese government considers the weak does not support them in this country but of the few politicians who do not ask for entry into force only during elections."

He said: "It is in fact a decision on behalf of the displacement of the law, forsaken of the bloody persecution of Iraq, and today we flee from Lebanon under the eyes of the state and the law. Enough thinking, enough tyranny, where right? Where the state?"

He continued: "Rejoice, O Lebanese, we have solved all the problems and difficulties, Lebanon, and today another problem solved to withdraw citizenship from twenty-four family, Syriac, Assyrian, who defended the town of Zahle and made martyrs in defense of all of Lebanon, and everyone knows that in Zahle, Lebanon."

He said: "We will not threaten to take to the street, as is the case in Lebanon for the collection of rights, but we will resort to the courts to try to collect our rights", in the hope of everyone to support our just cause.

He explained that Bishop travel Syriac community would resort to an appeal to the State Council to stop the implementation of the decree, and to follow-up to the political and administrative authorities in the country to lift the injustice on the community.

He noted that the number of respondents decree disarming sexual well-known so far are 24 families, because citizenship by decree to withdraw not only from the person, but from each of taking the citizenship it from his children and his wife, his siblings and ramifications, pointing to the presence of government officials, military and gendarmes, officers and staff of the State of and people who served in the military are covered by the decree as well as they are elected for 17 years and give their votes to Congress and municipalities.

He called the Lebanese media to carry this issue, noting that the decree is a displacement, stressing that the decree covered them, and their presence and their property installed in Zahle, and the disarmament of their nationality means that they are in a bind where no other nationality is no place else to go.

Statement of disapproval

In the area of ​​connected, distributed groups and bodies Syriac Zhalih a statement condemning the issuance of this decree "the unjust right of a group of our family records bright white as snow Sannine, not the fraud or forgery, or breach of the law and cite in the decree. Has deliberately and they exist as all our people in Lebanon with sweat and blood and commending the projects produced agricultural, industrial, commercial, and its people learn science and high competencies in particular in the various public and private employment and military service, in addition to the depth of belief in spiritual and ecclesiastical, and their relationship to the positive spiritual and physical, social and national. "

The statement appealed to the name of prominent personalities, bodies and families affected by the decree of the President and the government and the Interior Minister and all members of the government and parliament and references to "work to stop the force of the injustice done to our families in Decree No. 6691 Date of 10/11/2011 and return him due process."

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الإتحاد السرياني استنكر سحب الجنسية من عائلات سريانية: قرار غير مدروس
Syriac Union condemned the withdrawal of the nationality of the families of Syriac: decision is thoughtful
http://www.lebanese-forces.org/local/syriac-union-zahle1005564.shtml
By Syriac Union
Nov 12, 2011 - 6:02:35 PM

Asked the Union Party Syriac If the Syriac community and its people dissenter in the Lebanese state, and if any decision in the state comes at the expense of this community as their view of "minorities" are the weakest link does not have representative parliamentary or ministerial or armed militia to impose its decisions on the state by force of arms ?

The surprise party, the Union Syriac decree signed by President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the judge to withdraw the Lebanese nationality for persons or families said they were acquired and subsequently found that they do not deserve, according to the decision to the State Council, and includes this decree to withdraw the citizenship of 25 families Syriac of Zahle so Now. Union Syriac In a statement after an extraordinary meeting of the leadership at the headquarters of the party, denounced, condemned the decision is considered by the Lebanese authorities, and demanded re-examined, because of the unfairness subsequent originally sect Syriac at this level, they are most underserved Lebanese nationality and there are families received where the parents did not give citizenship to their children. The party said that the families that decide to revoke the citizenship of which are those that fled from the swords of the Ottomans and Mjazarhm in Turkey in 1915 to Lebanon, and provided in the Lebanese war dear to them in defense of Lebanon and the land of the occupier, whoever he was, Ruth home her blood pure, and killed their best , as well as they own land in areas inhabited, it is worth more of them Lebanese citizenship? Syriac Union and asked: Does not that deserve our community after 1132 provided a martyr on the altar of the homeland citizenship that is right for them at all? Calling for the withdrawal of all those who gained fraud and do not see Lebanon only when the elections. The party chairman Ebrahim Murad we are following the day and night this subject, and will not stand idly in front of the injustice which extends the Syriac community in various fields after it ignored the state and with officials of the subject representation or ministerial, and we will intensify our meetings with stakeholders and we started with meetings with Interior Minister Brigadier General Marwan Charbel to put the state in front of their responsibilities in this context so as not to feel the Syriac as a citizen of second class in the country gave him the sacrifices of countless. Murad sent a letter to parties allied forces " March 14 "to intervene immediately to stop this farce that affect our people, Syriac, and asked them to stand firm about what is going on.

Syriac names of families in the city of Zahle, which has been infected by a decree withdrawing the Lebanese nationality, knowing that these families are present in Lebanon since the massacres of Syriac "Sipho" 1915 Ottoman Empire and most of these families were martyrs to defend Lebanon. Thus, the state rewards Lebanese martyrs' families.

1. موريس توما ابو ريالي
2. جوزف سليمان بدوان
3. نعمه اسحق شمعون
4. عزيز يعقوب سمري
5. سفر جورج نعمه
6. زهى ملكي شمو
7. موفق حنا يشوع
8. جان بشارة بشارة
9. فهمي سعيد نعمه
10. غابي جورج نعمه
11. ملكي سلوم عبد الاحد
12. ملكي يوسف عبد الاحد
13. جميل كريم جرجس
14. يوسف خليل عندس
15. جليل حنا مراد
16. سامي ملكي عبد الاحد
17. ماجد عبد المسيح جرجس
18. داوود كوريه عيسى
19. مريم يوسف يشوع
20. يعقوب جرجس شوكي
21. عبد لاحد سفر عبد الاحد
22. ميشال ملكي عبد الاحد
23. سامي عبد الاحد يونان
24. عائدة جورج نعمه
25. صبحي يونان شمعون