THE DARK SIDE OF THE FILTHY POLITIC IN PANAMA

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA   ~Contributed & Written by Olmedo Beluche

SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN PANAMA.

There are times when one regrets not being Shakespeare or, at least, Corin Tellado because Panamanian politics is a tragicomedy that would for several soap operas.

The last week of May shook the country with a recording in which Roberto Velasquez allegedly responsible break His legs to its main rival, José Luis Fabrega, apparent candidate of economic power.

Recording it was known by a tweet released by the president, Ricardo Martinelli, before leaving on a trip whose first stop was the Grand Prix of Monaco, which suddenly appeared next to Prince Albert. The bizarre affair was settled with the forced resignation of Velasquez and Fabrega's victory in the primaries of the PRD.

The incident, which in another country would not actually isolated in Panama is a symptom of the decay of the political system and widespread corruption that spreads everywhere. In 2009, the scandals accompanied the election for mayor of Panama City.

We all remember the case of the meeting between Roberto Velasquez and David Murcia. The "burn" of Velasquez's victory led Bosco Vallarino, who broke the law, because he had given up the Panamanian citizenship. The National Assembly gave him citizenship retroactively. But Vallarino resigned after a meeting with Martinelli.

The controversial relationships Murcia reached Balbina Herrera and Ricardo Martinelli. He accused her to get her briefcase, she accused him of its supermarkets were part of the pyramid of Murcia. As always happens in Panama, elapsed elections, investigations were killed in a filing cabinet prosecutors. Back in 2013, Martinelli opened fire saying: "There is no more corrupt person in this country that Juan Carlos Navarro.

Soon they will start to go all the beauties of corruption Navarro "(The Press, 06/04/1013). And people with some logic question: Does the President who knows of a crime, but has not reported to the justice, is itself committing another crime? Or just about slander, which is also a crime? More and more people regard politicians as the most corrupt of society.

According to the Electoral Tribunal, Martinelli's campaign in 2009, spent nearly 20 million dollars and Balbina Herrera, another $ 10 million, a mayor is spent on campaign $ 200K and a deputy $ 300 billion. Vote buying and payment of consideration to be ordinary. All part of the decay of the capitalist system in Panama is reaching its climax. In this context of corruption and money, are in danger of drowning electorally new proposals alternatives to traditional party, if there is no unity in an electoral front left, popular and union that produces a shift in the electorate.

As political power gives access to a juicy public purse to hand, there are many willing to break bones in order to win at all costs. For now, like Horace (character Hamlet), it follows: "At what particular point I have to direct my thinking, is something I do not know, but according to the logic upon my understanding, this portends a strange commotion in our State "
____________________________
READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

FEMALE CASH SMUGGLER IN U.S. BORDER

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA   ~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock

 

LEBANESE-CANADIAN BULK CASH SMUGGLER ARRESTED COMING INTO US

A female dual Lebanese-Canadian national was arrested, by US Customs & Border Protection, at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, when she attempted to bulk cash smuggle more than C$72,000 into the United States, without declaring it.

Moura El-Asmar was hiding the money, as was her daughter traveling with her, along with two unrelated male friends, sewn into both females' brassieres.

El-Asmar, who claimed that the money was her savings from her newspaper delivery job, and that she was taking it to Lebanon, to give to another daughter, had a criminal record in the United States, which makes her ineligible for entry, according to an affidavit filed by the arresting officer. Was this story a fabrication ? Was she a cash courier ?

Whilst no indictment had been filed at press time, charges of Bulk Cash Smuggling and Failure to Declare are pending. Did the cash come from drug profits, and was it being brought to a designated terrorist group in the Middle East ? We cannot say.

One of the males in the car, coming from Canada, was Hispanic; What was his role ? When further information is released, we will follow up on this story.

 _______________________________________________________________________  *United States vs. El-Asmar, Case No.: 13-mj-30359  (ED MICH).

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

IF YOU ARE OUTSOURCING YOUR COMPLIANCE, YOU BETTER CHECK THEM OUT | FAKE INVESTIGATIONS

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA ~ Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock

ARE YOU OUTSOURCING YOUR COMPLIANCE ? IF SO, DID YOU CHECK THEM OUT ?

The scandal unfolding before a committee of the United States Congress this week: the background investigation of the NSA whistle blower, by an outsourced entity, appears to have been, a least in part, improperly performed by the investigators. The allegations are that hundreds, if not thousands of background investigations were, in truth and in fact, faked.

This brings up a weakness in AML/CFT compliance. If you are outsourcing any part of your compliance, or relying upon the compliance performed by others (if that is permitted in your jurisdiction), have you adequately vetted the individuals, and companies, who you delegated to perform those functions ? And if you delegated the vetting to yet another company, who vet the entity doing the vetting ?

Have you actually personally the viewed the qualifications and experience of the compliance staff who you outsourced these tasks to ? Did you call their work references ? Did you visit their offices, and observed their operation ? It is, unfortunately, far too easy to "check the box" from afar, and fabricate compliance work product.

Remember, at the end of the day, you are ultimately responsible for compliance performed at your direction, on matters involving your bank or NBFI. Make sure that you have qualified people at the

company that you are using, that you check their work frequently, and that you ensure that they do not cheat on the tasks at hand; no shortcuts, please.

____________________________________________________

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

TOKYO MUST PAY 250M TO NEW YORK

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA   ~Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock ~

NEWS YORK IMPOSES $250m FINE ON BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ FOR SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS

The State of New York Department of Financial Services has imposed a monetary penalty, upon consent, in the amount of $250m, on the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ. The violations included  sending funds to countries against whom sanctions were in place, including Iran, Myanmar and Sudan.

The bank reportedly stripped information from wire transfers, to conceal the sanctioned destinations. To review the entire text of the order, access the link below*.

_________________________________________

*Consent Order under New York Banking §44  

_______________________________________

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

RICHARD AMMAR CHICHAKLI A TOP SECRET CASE

  FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA ~ Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock

WHY NO LAWYER FOR VIKTOR BOUT'S MONEY LAUNDERER ?

The case against Viktor Bout's reputed CFO, the Syrian-American accountant,Richard Chichakli, remains shrouded in mystery. I have these questions:

 (1) Why has no attorney entered a permanent appearance on his behalf ? Just a "for bail only" limited appearance by a public defender, who apparently stipulated to pretrial confinement, meaning that her efforts were strictly to ensure that the defendant was represented in court.

These is a mention that she was acting for an attorney named Marlon Kirton, an experienced criminal defense attorney who accepts CJA appointments, but he has not appeared, nor filed any pleadings, which is strange.

 (2) Why is there no filing to indicate what happened on 28 May, when the Pretrial Conference was scheduled to occur ? There are no pleading to indicate that it was cancelled, or rescheduled, and no sealed pleadings, which often indicate cooperation with law enforcement in underway, to suspect that any plea bargaining is in progress or completed. has he made a deal ?

 (3) What's going on in the case ? That last filing was on 25 May, three weeks ago.

 I will continue to follow the case, and keep you readers fully advised. Attorney Kirton has

appeared in 92 cases in the Southern District of Florida, according to PACER; he is a former Legal Aid (public defender) attorney.

___________________________________

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

Global Terrorist Group Used Reputation Management Firm.

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA ~ Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock

SOMALI MSB USED REPUTATION MANAGEMENT FIRM TO CONCEAL NEGATIVE INFORMATION

It appears that the use of so-called reputation management firms, to hide negative information from compliance officers, is not limited to individuals looking to open bank accounts. A major money transmitter/money service business in embattled Somalia reportedly used the services to conceal the fact that individuals now imprisoned by the United States at Guantanamó Bay, Cuba were clients.

The MSB, who announced a few months ago that it had entered into a major agreement, with an American bank with offices in the Midwest, to assist in sending remittances to Somalia from the US, has been linked to the designated global terrorist group, Al-Shabaab. Allegedly, the MSB pays a large annual fee to the terrorist organisation, and some of its leaders have accounts there. I am at a total loss as to why a major US financial institution would knowingly partner up with an MSB known for terrorist connections, and why American regulatory agencies have not acted against the bank, and any others that work with that MSB.

 The MSB, though not a licensed bank in Somalia, uses the term "bank" on its account statements; one was published on the Internet, by a whistle blower exposing the fact, in connection with the Al-Shabaab connection. This is a misrepresentation of a material fact, and further reinforces my opinion about the MSBs suitability, for any purpose, for transactions that involve US persons.

The use of a reputation rehabilitation company, by a prominent money service business, to conceal information that would affect compliance decisions, by financial institutions considering a business relationship, or even a single transaction, is disturbing, because it indicates that the use of such services has spread to the financial and corporate world. Readers may want to review my recent article*, on my opinion that the Internet is no longer a valid information source for compliance enquiries, due to the activities of companies which seek to hide the truth about their clients, amidst the confusing fog of multiple Internet postings and websites.

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com

CANADA IMMIGRATION FRAUDS OUT OF CONTROL

FROM THE - JOURNALS of Monte Friesner – Criminal & Intelligence Analyst and Consulaire for WANTED SA ~ Contributed & Written by Kenneth Rijock

IRANIANS EMIGRATING ILLEGALLY TO CANADA WITH THIRD COUNTRY PASSPORTS

An organisation with offices on Dubai, Tehran and Mogadishu is reportedly illegally providing Iranian nationals with valid passports from third countries, which they use to travel to Canada. Once they arrive, they are absorbed into the existing Iranian expat population, in the country's largest cities. In this manner, a large number of Iranians have been able to enter Canada, notwithstanding the country's current freeze on new applications for immigrant investors, and the termination of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The scheme surfaced after a number of these illegal immigrants complained that they have paid substantial advance fees, to the company that assisted them to illegally enter Canada, which were specifically for normalising their status, but no action has been taken on their behalf. Their wealth is believed to be illicitly transferred to Canada via Hawallah, at a cost that exceeds the normal charges for this type of undercover service. The company providing all these services is therefore involved in immigration fraud, advance fee fraud, and illegal international funds transfers. I have identified the principal actors in this criminal scheme, but since there is a pending criminal investigation, I am not disclosing their names, and photographs, at this time, though I will do so should criminal charges be filed.

One wonders why Canadian governmental agencies are not taking action to identify, and deport, illegal immigrants from Iran, especially in light of the recent sanctions imposed by Canada upon Iran. These are affluent individuals, not political refugees. They have not legally entered Canada, but it appears that the reputed political power of the Iranian expat community in Canada has resulted in an unofficial hands-off policy with respect to Iranian illegals. 

READ MORE ON : www.wantedsa.com