US embassy cable - 04PRAGUE1874

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAGUE 001874 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL, EZ; JUSTICE FOR OIA, AFMLS; TREASURY FOR 
FINCEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KTFN, EZ 
SUBJECT: CZECH SUBMISSION FOR 2004-2005 INCSR, PART II 
MONEY LAUNDERING AND FINANCIAL CRIMES 
 
REF: 254401 
 
1.  Both geographic and economic factors render the Czech 
Republic vulnerable to money laundering. Tax fraud, narcotics 
trafficking, smuggling, auto theft, embezzlement, 
racketeering and trafficking in persons are the major sources 
of funds that are laundered in the Czech Republic. Domestic 
and foreign organized crime groups target Czech financial 
institutions for laundering activity; banks, currency 
exchanges, casinos and other gaming establishments, 
investment companies, and real estate agencies have all been 
used to launder criminal proceeds. 
2..  The Czech anti-money laundering legislation, Act No 
61/1996, Measures against Legalization of Proceeds from 
Criminal Activity, went into effect in July 1996. An 
amendment in 2000 requires a wide range of financial 
institutions to report all suspicious transaction to the 
financial analytical unit (FAU) of the Ministry of Finance 
and to freeze assets that belong to people listed by the UN 
Sanction committee. They also have to freeze all assets of 
subjects that belong directly or indirectly to subjects named 
on the UN Security Council list. The latest amendment that 
came into force in September 2004 brought several major 
changes and harmonized Czech legislation with the Second EU 
directive. The amendment extends the list of entities which 
must report transactions to attorneys, casinos, realtors, 
notaries, accountants, tax auditors, and entrepreneurs with 
transactions exceeding the EU-standard 15,000 euros. All 
listed financial institutions also have a new obligation to 
report not only suspicious transactions possibly involving 
money laundering, but also those that might be connected to 
the financing of terrorism.  In connection with that, the FAU 
is now authorized to share all information with the Czech 
Intelligence Service and the Czech National Security Bureau. 
It is hoped that this will improve the timeliness and nature 
of exchanges between the different agencies within the Czech 
government. However, the real effectiveness of communication 
from BIS and the National Security Bureau to the FAU remains 
to be tested. The FAU is newly authorized to cooperate and 
share information not only with other members of Egmont Group 
but also with other counterparts or international 
organizations under certain circumstances. 
3.  The Financial Analytical Unit, the Czech counterpart of 
Fincen, can only investigate accounts for which reports of 
suspicious transactions have been filled. FAU is an 
administrative unit without law enforcement authority. FAU 
can ask the banking sector to check for an account in the 
name of specific individual or organization. But FAU cannot 
order the check, or conduct the investigation itself. While 
post believes FAU conducts its investigations in an 
appropriate manner, those investigations only cover a tiny 
fraction of accounts in the country.  Moreover, their primary 
purpose has been and remains identifying tax evaders. 
 
4.  The financial institution that reports the suspicious 
transaction can freeze the account of its client for 24 
hours. This can be extended to 72 hours to give FAU time to 
find out whether there is any evidence of a crime. If there 
is, the case is forwarded to the financial police, who have 
another three days to gather necessary evidence. If enough 
evidence can be gathered to persuade a judge, the police and 
prosecutor continue their work and the account stays frozen 
throughout the investigation and prosecution, which could 
last months and years. If the judge isn,t satisfied with the 
evidence gathered within the 72-hour period, the funds must 
be released. These limits do not apply to accounts owned by 
individuals or organizations on the UN,s list of terrorists. 
 
5.  In July 2002, an amendment to the Criminal Code became 
effective. This amendment introduced a new, independent 
offense called &Legalization of Proceeds from Crime.8 It 
enables prosecution for legalization (laundering) of proceeds 
from all serious criminal activity punishable by up to five 
years of imprisonment if the person is as a member of an 
organized group or obtains considerable benefits from such 
offence. A sentence of eight years or forfeiture of property 
can be imposed for legalizing the proceeds from drug 
trafficking or other very serious crimes, or if the person 
commits the offence by abusing his official position. The 
latest amendment of the Criminal Code, that came into force 
in November 2004,  adds new definitions for terrorist attacks 
and for financing of terrorism. A penalty of up to 15 years 
of imprisonment can be imposed on those who support 
terrorists financially, materially or with other means. 
6.  An extensive revision of the Criminal Procedure Code, 
which facilitated the seizure and forfeiture of bank 
accounts, became effective January 1, 2002. It allows a 
judge, and in preliminary prosecution, a prosecutor or the 
police (with consent of a prosecutor) to freeze an account if 
the evidence shows that the financial means will be used to 
commit a crime, were used to commit a crime, or are proceeds 
from criminal activity. In urgent cases the police can also 
freeze the account without previous consent of the 
prosecutor, but to have to inform the prosecutor within 48 
hours, who then confirms the freeze or releases the funds. 
The Law on the Administration of Asset Forfeiture in Criminal 
Procedure, passed in August 2003, implements provisions on 
the  handling and care of seized property.  That became 
effective on January 1, 2004. 
7.  For years, the Czech Republic had been criticized for 
allowing anonymous passbook accounts to exist within the 
banking system. Legislation adopted in 2000 prohibited new 
anonymous passbook accounts. In 2002, the Act on Banks was 
amended to abolish all existing bearer passbooks by December 
31, 2002, and by June 2003, approximately 400 million euros 
had been converted. While account holders can still withdraw 
money from the accounts for the next decade, the accounts do 
not earn interest and cannot accept deposits. 
8.  The number of suspicious transaction reports transmitted 
to the FAU has increased significantly, while the number of 
reports evaluated and forwarded to law enforcement remains 
unchanged. This is interpreted as evidence of the active 
participation of mandated entities in the anti-money 
laundering regime. After clarifications to the reporting 
requirements in 1996, reporting rose from 95 unusual 
transactions per annum (1996) to 1,750 suspicious 
transactions in 2001, 1,260 in 2002, 1,970 in 2003 and 3,018 
from January through November 2004. The number of reports 
forwarded to the police increased from none the first year to 
115 in 2002 and 114 in 2003. From January through November 
2004 there were 90 reports forwarded to police; every case 
that was passed to law enforcement was investigated. 
9.  In July 2004, a new specialized police unit called the 
Financial Police (known also as Illegal Proceeds and Tax 
Crime Unit) was established. The Department of Criminal 
Proceeds and Money Laundering, which used to be part of the 
unit fighting organized crime, became a part of the newly 
established Financial Police.  It is still the main law 
enforcement counterpart to FAU, a partnership which has led 
to the first formal charges on money laundering. 
10.  In 2004, the Department of Criminal Proceeds and Money 
Laundering investigated 139 cases and secured assets valued 
at roughly US$90,000. This compares to 2003 when police 
secure approximately US$29,000 113 cases. In 2004 the 
department participated in 25 cases investigated by the Czech 
National Drug Headquarters and secured assets valued at 
US$700,000.  In 2003, 23 cases related to drug crimes were 
investigated and the department succeeded in securing assets 
valued at US$7,250,000. 
11.  The Ministry of Justice statistics for the first half of 
2004 show the first two convictions for attempting to 
legalize the proceeds of crime. The only penalties imposed 
were a suspended sentence and a fine. 4 people were 
prosecuted and 3 were accused, one case was suspended. In 
2003 there were 36 cases, five cases were suspended, 7 people 
were prosecuted and 7 were accused.  There were no 
convictions in 2003. One ongoing issue is that in the Czech 
Republic, law enforcement must prove that the assets in 
question were derived from criminal activity. The accused is 
not obligated to prove that the property or assets were 
acquired legitimately. 
12.  The Czech Government has approved the 2004 National 
Action Plan for the Fight against Terrorism. This document 
covers themes ranging from police work and cooperation to 
protection of security interests, enhancement of security 
standards, and customs issues. The FAU currently is 
distributing &terrorist lists8 to relevant financial and 
governmental bodies. Czechs now do have specific laws 
criminalizing terrorist financing and have legislation 
permitting rapid implementation of UN and EU financial 
sanctions, including action against accounts held by 
suspected terrorist entities or individuals. A new government 
body called the Clearinghouse was instituted in October 2002, 
under the FAU; its function is to streamline input from 
institutions in order to enhance cooperation and response to 
a terrorist threat. 
13.  Czech authorities have been cooperative in the global 
effort to identify suspect terrorist accounts (FAU has 
checked the accounts of about a thousand people since the 
September 11, 2001) but no accounts have been identified, and 
no terrorist assets have been confiscated. 
14.  The Czech Republic became a signatory to the UN 
International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing 
of Terrorism in September 2000, but has not yet ratified it. 
The main obstacle to ratification is the absence of 
legislation on criminal liability of legal persons 
(companies). This legislation has been proposed and will 
become a part of the whole recodification of the Criminal 
Code that authorities hope will take effect in 2006.  In the 
meantime, the government is trying to identify a different 
way through administrative or civil procedure to satisfy 
Convention requirements. 
15.  The Czech Republic is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention and the World Customs Organization's Convention on 
Mutual Administrative Assistance for the Prevention 
Investigation and Repression of Customs Offenses. An 
extradition treaty and an MLAT are in force between the U.S. 
and the Czech Republic, though the extradition treaty is 80 
years old, based on outdated mutual lists, and does not allow 
the extradition of Czech nationals to the US. The Czech 
Republic has taken the necessary legislative measures to join 
the European Arrest Warrant.  However, the EAW has not been 
used and there is sharp debate about whether the Czech 
constitution even allows the extradition of nationals. It is 
hoped that a test case will resolve the issue in 2005. 
Formalization of an agreement between the Czech Republic and 
Europol took place in 2002. The agreement allows an exchange 
of information about specific crimes and investigating 
methods, the prevention of crime, and the training of police. 
Among the most important crimes cited in the cooperation 
agreement are terrorism, drug trafficking, and money 
laundering. 
16.  The FAU is a member of the Egmont Group, and is 
authorized to cooperate with its foreign counterparts, 
including those not part of the Egmont Group. The Czech 
Republic is a party to the Strasbourg Convention and actively 
participates in the Council of Europe,s Select Committee of 
Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures 
(MONEYVAL) as both evaluator and &evaluatee,8 and in 2001 
underwent a mutual evaluation by the Committee. The Czech 
Republic continues to implement changes to its anti-money 
laundering regime based on the results of the mutual 
evaluation. In May 2003, the Czech Republic also underwent a 
financial sector assessment by the World Bank/IMF. The Czech 
Republic is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention and in 
December 2000 signed, but has not yet ratified, the UN 
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Czechs 
wants to ratify the Convention together with its three 
supplemental Protocols which cause the delay in ratification. 
The Czech Republic also is a party to the Council of Europe 
Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of 
the Proceeds from Crime. 
17.  The Czech Republic should continue to enhance its 
anti-money laundering regime and should become a party to the 
UN International Convention for the Suppression of the 
Financing of Terrorism. In addition, the Czech Republic 
should continue to work toward supporting and streamlining 
its prosecution regime, including shifting the burden of 
proof from the prosecutor to the defendant. The question of 
compensation of damages in cases of acquittal also needs to 
be solved. The Czech Republic should also take steps to 
facilitate the forfeiture of assets jointly owned, for 
example by husband and wife.  This is very complicated at the 
moment. The possible confiscation of property as substitution 
for illicit proceeds, would also be helpful. 
 
CABANISS