A new watchdog has been created to further tighten the UK’s defences against money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Office for Professional Body AML Supervision (OPBAS) will work across the UK’s anti-money laundering supervisory regime to improve standards and ensure supervisors and law enforcement work together more effectively.
It will directly oversee the 22 accountancy and legal professional body AMLsupervisors in the UK. Having several organisations supervising the same sectors risks inconsistencies that criminals could look to exploit.
OPBAS, which will operate within the FCA, will ensure the 22 bodies meet the high standards set out in the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, and have powers to investigate and penalise those that do not.
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Barclay, said:
Our partnership with the private sector is at the heart of this reform, and OPBAS will help our supervisors tighten the UK’s defences against dirty money whilst minimising unnecessary burdens on legitimate business.
This is the latest step in the government’s reforms to the UK’s financial system to make it a hostile environment for illicit finance
Read more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-establishes-new-money-laundering-watchdog
