Dutch financial group ING is bracing for a criminal indictment in Luxembourg over its failure to properly manage anti-money laundering (AML) processes at its unit in the Grand Duchy.
The bank said it was informed in January by a Luxembourg investigating judge that he intends to instruct the relevant prosecutor to prepare a criminal indictment regarding shortcomings in the anti-money laundering at ING Luxembourg.
In its 2021 annual report, made public on Thursday, ING said that the Luxembourg case “remains at an early procedural stage” and that “it is currently not possible to determine how this matter will be resolved or the timing of any such resolution.”
ING has a track record of major shortcomings in its anti-money laundering processes. In September 2018 it agreed a 775 million euro settlement with Dutch authorities concerning anti-money laundering matters.
The bank said that “in the context of significantly increased attention on the prevention of financial economic crime, it has experienced heightened scrutiny by authorities in various countries.”
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