16th
November 2009
Sub: Anti Money Laundering (AML) Standards/Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligations of
Securities Market Intermediaries under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002
and Rules framed there-under.
Members are hereby informed that the
Exchange has received a Circular from SEBI Ref. No. ISD/AML/CIR-1/2009 dated September 01, 2009. The contents of the said Circular are given
here under for information of the members.
OFFICER ON SPECIAL DUTY
INTEGRATED SURVEILLANCE DEPARTMENT
EMAIL – ramanns@sebi.gov.in
TEL : 022 26449450
Fax : 022 26449029
ISD/AML/CIR-1/2009
September
01, 2009
To all Intermediaries registered with SEBI under section 12 of the SEBI Act, 1992.(Through the stock exchanges for stock brokers, sub brokers and depositories for depository participants)
Sub:
Anti Money Laundering (AML) Standards/Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Obligations of Securities Market
Intermediaries under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Rules framed
there-under.
Dear Sir / Madam,
1.
SEBI, vide Master Circular No. ISD/AML/CIR-1/2008 dated December 19, 2008,
issued consolidated requirements/obligations to be fulfilled by all registered
intermediaries with regard to AML/CFT. In addition to the obligations contained
in the Master Circular, following are the additional requirements to be
fulfilled or the clarifications with regard to existing requirements:
i. Non resident clients,
ii. High net-worth clients,
iii. Trust, Charities, NGOs and
organizations receiving donations,
iv. Companies having close family shareholdings
or beneficial ownership,
v. Politically exposed persons (PEP). Politically exposed persons are individuals who are or have been entrusted with prominent public functions in a foreign country, e.g., Heads of States or of Governments, senior politicians, senior government/judicial/military officers, senior executives of state-owned corporations, important political party officials, etc.
The
additional norms applicable to PEP as contained in the subsequent clause 5.5
(Page 19 of the Master Circular) shall also be applied to the accounts of the
family members or close relatives of PEPs,
vi. Companies offering foreign exchange
offerings,
vii.
Clients in high risk countries (where existence /effectiveness of money
laundering controls is suspect or which do not or insufficiently apply FATF
standards, where there is unusual banking secrecy, Countries active in
narcotics production, Countries where corruption (as per Transparency
International Corruption Perception Index) is highly prevalent, Countries against
which government sanctions are applied, Countries reputed to be any of the
following –
Havens
/ sponsors of international terrorism, offshore financial centers, tax havens,
countries where fraud is highly prevalent,
viii. Non face to face clients,
ix. Clients with dubious reputation as
per public information available etc.
b.
The following line is added in the existing clause 9.2 (Page 25 of the Master
Circular): “The background including all documents/office records
/memorandums/clarifications sought
pertaining to such transactions and purpose thereof shall also be examined
carefully and findings shall be recorded in writing. Further such findings,
records and related documents should be made available to auditors and also to
SEBI /Stock Exchanges/FIU-IND/Other relevant Authorities, during audit,
inspection or as and when required
.
These records are required to be
preserved for ten years asis required under PMLA 2002.”
c.
The existing clause 10.2 (h) (Page 27 of the Master Circular) shall be read as:
“Unusual transactions by CSCs and businesses undertaken by, offshore banks
/financial services, businesses reported to be in the nature of export-import
of small items.”
d.
The following line is added in the existing clause 10.3 (Page 27 of the Master
Circular): “The Principal Officer/Money Laundering Control Officer and other
appropriate compliance, risk management and related staff members shall have
timely access to customer identification data and other CDD information,
transaction records and other relevant information.”
e. The following new clause numbered
10.5 is added after existing clause 10.4 (Page 27 of the Master Circular):
“Clause
5.4(h) of the Master Circular categorizes clients of high risk countries,
including countries where existence and effectiveness of money laundering
controls is suspect or which do not or insufficiently apply FATF standards, as
‘Clients of Special Category’. Intermediaries are directed that such clients should also be subject to appropriate counter measures. These measures may include a further enhanced scrutiny of transactions, enhanced relevant reporting mechanisms or systematic reporting of financial transactions, and applying enhanced due diligence while expanding business relationships with the identified country or persons in that country etc.”
f.
The
following new clause numbered 11.4 is added after the existing clause 11.3
(Page 29 of the Master Circular): “It is
clarified that the registered intermediaries, irrespective of the amount
of transaction and/or the threshold limit envisaged for predicate offences
specified in part B of Schedule of PMLA, 2002, should file STR if they have
reasonable grounds to believe that the
transactions involve proceeds of
crime.”
g.
The following line is added in the existing clause 12.1 (Page 30 of the Master
Circular): “The Principal Officer shall have* access to and be able to
report to senior management above
his/her next reporting level or the Board of Directors.”
2.
An updated list of individuals and entities which are subject to various
sanction measures such as freezing of assets/accounts, denial of financial services etc., as
approved by Security Council Committee
established pursuant to various United Nations' Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) can be accessed
in the United Nations website at http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/consolist.shtml. Registered intermediaries are
directed that before opening any new account, it will be ensured that the
name/s of the proposed customer does not
appear in the list. Further, registered intermediaries shall
continuously scan all existing accounts to ensure that no account is held by or linked to any of the entities or
individuals included in the list. Full
details of accounts bearing resemblance with any of the individuals/entities in the list should
immediately be intimated to SEBI and
FIU-IND.
3.
All the registered intermediaries are directed to ensure compliance with the
requirements contained in this circular on an immediate basis. Stock exchanges and depositories are
also directed to bring the contents of
this circular to the attention of their member brokers/ depository
participants, verify compliance during inspections and take appropriate action
under their respective Rules/Byelaws/ Regulations in case of any contravention/
non compliance of this circular or of
SEBI Master Circular on AML/CFT.
4.
This circular is being issued in exercise of powers conferred under
Section
11 (1) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, and Rule 7 of Prevention
of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records of the Nature and Value of
Transactions, the Procedure and Manner of Maintaining and Time for Furnishing
Information and Verification and Maintenance of Records of the Identity of the
Clients of the Banking Companies, Financial Institutions and Intermediaries)
Rules, 2005, to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the
securities market.
Yours faithfully,
S. Ramann
Members are reuqested to note the aforesaid guideline of SEBI and act accordingly.
DGM(Surveillance)