Fraud & Anti Money Laundering

21 Sep 2018

Brian Holdipp
For a number of years, the international financial services sector has contributed the greatest amount to the Bermuda economy.  According to the National Economic Report published by the Ministry of Finance, international business provided $1.68 billion in total output or 27.3 per cent of total GDP in 2016. It is critical for Bermuda’s economic well-being then, that the Island remains in step with international standards set by supra-national regulatory authorities to protect the jurisdiction’s financial system from abuse.
13:17 / Bermuda Government / Company & Commercial Law / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering
30 Aug 2017

Jennifer Haworth
In December 2016, the legislature in Bermuda passed the Bribery Act 2016 (the “Act”) which will come into force on 1 September 2017. The Act is based on the UK Bribery Act 2010. Currently, there are several separate laws dealing with bribery and corruption offences in Bermuda, such as the Criminal Code 1907 (Section 111 Official Corruption and Section 112 Extortion By Public Officers), the Parliament Act 1957 and the Parliamentary Election Act 1978. But as of Friday, there will be one comprehensive statute which sets out what constitutes bribery in Bermuda.
20:33 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering / Litigation & Dispute Resolution
17 Dec 2015

Andrew A. Martin
The proposed amendments to the Proceeds of Crime Act 1997 (POCA) (and related legislation) under the Proceeds of Crime Amendment Bill 2015 require careful reading. The amendments proposed in this Bill introduce several important amendments in a piece meal fashion in relation to several distinct statutory régimes. The form and content of the amendments are difficult to follow because you have to read them alongside the existing legislation, and the amendments are not readily comprehensible in the wider context of the existing provisions. Eventually the various Acts which are to be amended by this Bill will be published in a revised form that includes the amendments and deletes the sections that are to be repealed and replaced. Until then, make sure you have all relevant legislation open in front of you when you read the Bill.
19:05 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering
28 Nov 2014

Cynthia Williams
Changes in Bermuda’s Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (“AML/ATF”) Legislation will be addressed in Parliament in order to bring the technical components into compliance with the 2012 Revised Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) 40 recommendations (the “Recommendations”).
15:02 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering
07 Jun 2013

Andrew A. Martin
It has been widely reported that the Prime Minister of the UK, David Cameron, will call upon the British Overseas Territories (BOTs) which are regarded as low tax jurisdictions to “get their houses in order” (The Daily Mail, 5 June 2013) and that offshore financial centres such as Bermuda, Cayman, BVI, Jersey and Guernsey will be urged to “sign up to greater tax transparency” (Royal Gazette, 6 June 2013). Bermuda has always defended its status as a low tax jurisdiction, and has always made it clear that it is not a tax haven, nor a place where the fruits of tax evasion can be harboured. It is relevant to recall the efforts that Bermuda has made over the last 30 years to justify its claim to being a leading offshore financial centre, not a tax haven.
20:03 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering
20 Mar 2013

Cynthia Williams
Bermuda now boasts a new licensing and supervisory regime for professional corporate service providers designed to enhance the efficiency of incorporations in Bermuda. The changes, which came into effect at the start of the year, are regarded as good news for Bermuda as they will eliminate double vetting, decrease the need for due diligence on shareholders with voting rights of less than 10 percent and improve the efficiency of registration by using an electronic system that gives immediate results. In the ideal case a company could now be formed and registered within an hour. The new regime was established under the Bermuda Corporate Service Provider Business Act (“the CSP Act 2012”) which came into effect on January 1st, 2013.
18:04 / Bermuda Case Law & Legislation / Bermuda Government / Company & Commercial Law / Fraud & Anti Money Laundering