Operatörsnyheter

Australien – AUSTRAC och Crown är överens om ett föreslaget straff på 45 miljoner dollar

Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth and AUSTRAC have filed joint submissions with the Federal Court of Australia, proposing a $450m penalty over Crown’s breaches of the Lagen om finansiering av penningtvätt och finansiering av terrorism 2006 (AML / CTF Act).

A court hearing has been set down for July 10 to 11 2023, at which Justice Lee will consider the parties’ proposed settlement. While AUSTRAC and Crown agree that a $450m penalty is appropriate in all the circumstances, it is a matter for the court to determine the appropriate penalty.

In reaching this agreement, Crown has admitted that it operated in contravention of the AML/CTF Act, including that Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth failed to appropriately assess the money laundering and terrorism financing risks they faced, and to identify and respond to changes in risk over time.

It ruled that Crown did not have appropriate risk-based systems and controls in their AML/CTF programs to mitigate and manage the money laundering and terrorism financing risks they faced.

Crown also failed to establish an appropriate framework for Board and senior management oversight of their AML/CTF programs. It did not have a transaction monitoring program that was appropriate to the nature, size and complexity of their business.

AUSTRAC said Crown had an enhanced customer due diligence program that lacked appropriate procedures to ensure higher risk customers were subjected to extra scrutiny. It did not conduct appropriate ongoing customer due diligence on a range of specific customers who presented higher money laundering risks.

AUSTRAC Chief Executive Officer, Nicole Rose said the casino sector is at risk of exploitation by organised criminals seeking to clean their dirty money, money which criminals make through the sale of illicit drugs, scams and even human trafficking.

“Crown’s contraventions of the AML/CTF Act meant that a range of obviously high-risk practices, behaviours and customer relationships were allowed to continue unchecked for many years.” Ms Rose said

"Crown har försökt svara på de misslyckanden som identifierats i dessa förfaranden genom att förbättra sin strategi för ML/TF-riskhantering och investera i efterlevnaden av ekonomisk brottslighet. Vi fortsätter att arbeta nära Crown för att säkerställa att deras AML/CTF-program och system är kompatibla och passar för ändamålet i framtiden."

As the matter is before the court for determination, AUSTRAC is unable to comment further on the proceedings or in principle agreement.