US embassy cable - 03ABUDHABI4426

Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.

UAE CENTRAL BANK ACTIONS ON MONEY LAUNDERING

Identifier: 03ABUDHABI4426
Wikileaks: View 03ABUDHABI4426 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abu Dhabi
Created: 2003-10-01 11:09:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Tags: EFIN ETTC PTER ECON TC
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
null
Diana T Fritz  03/20/2007 05:14:02 PM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

Cable 
Text:                                                                      
                                                                           
      
UNCLASSIFIED

SIPDIS
TELEGRAM                                         October 01, 2003


To:       No Action Addressee                                    

Action:   Unknown                                                

From:     AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI (ABU DHABI 4426 - ROUTINE)         

TAGS:     EFIN, ETTC, PTER, ECON                                 

Captions: None                                                   

Subject:  UAE CENTRAL BANK ACTIONS ON MONEY LAUNDERING           

Ref:      None                                                   
_________________________________________________________________
UNCLAS        ABU DHABI 04426

SIPDIS
CXABU:
    ACTION: ECON 
    INFO:   P/M POL AMB DCM 
Laser1:
    INFO:   FCS 

DISSEMINATION: ECON
CHARGE: PROG

APPROVED: AMB:MMWAHBA
DRAFTED: ECON:OJOHN
CLEARED: ECON:CMARTIN-CRUMPLER

VZCZCADI202
RR RUEHC RUEHZM RUEATRS
DE RUEHAD #4426 2741109
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011109Z OCT 03
FM AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1910
INFO RUEHZM/GCC COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS ABU DHABI 004426 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP, S/CT, INL/ENT, EB/ESC 
STATE PASS FEDERAL RESERVE 
TREASURY FOR ZARATE, GLASER, AND MURDEN 
 
E.O. 12958: NA 
TAGS: EFIN, ETTC, PTER, ECON, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE CENTRAL BANK ACTIONS ON MONEY LAUNDERING 
 
1. (U) During the Annual Meetings of the IMF/WB in 
Dubai, the UAE Central Bank released detailed 
information on its money laundering investigations 
over the last two years.  According to Assistant 
Executive Director Abdulrahim Sinkais Al-Awadi (in 
charge of the Anti Money Laundering and Suspicious 
Cases Unit (AMLSCU)), the AMLSCU analyzed 429 
suspicious transactions reports received from banks 
and other financial institutions between August 
2001 and May 2003.  Nine cases have been prosecuted 
for money laundering and seizure of assets and are 
in the process of judgment.  Twelve cases are being 
prosecuted.  In 25 cases, accounts have been frozen 
and the cases referred to the prosecutor's office. 
 
2. (U) Al-Awadi also discussed international 
cooperation between the AMLSCU and other Financial 
Intelligence Units (FIU).  He said that the AMLSCU 
provides information to other FIUs whether or not 
it has an MOU regarding information sharing, but 
that other countries, including the US and UK 
require a MOU to share information.  The UAE has 
referred 58 cases for assistance and has frozen 13 
accounts based on information received.  According 
to Al-Awadi, however, the AMLSCU has not received a 
response for most of its requests for assistance. 
Other FIUS have referred about 164 cases to the 
AMLSCU for assistance.  As a result of these 
requests, the AMLSCU investigated and froze 23 
accounts and provided information in all cases.  In 
addition, the UAE has frozen 18 accounts totaling 
over $3 million in response to UNSC anti terrorist 
financing resolutions. 
 
3. (U) Finally, Al-Awadi noted that the Central 
Bank has conducted 58 workshops on money laundering 
and terrorist finance for banks and other financial 
institutions. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment:  This is the most detailed 
information that we have seen the central bank 
publicly release on anti-money laundering 
activities.  Based on our previous conversations 
with Al-Awadi, we believe that his remarks about 
the need for an MOU between the U.S. and the UAE 
refer to the MLAT currently under negotiation. 
End Comment. 
 
Wahba 

Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04