知情人士稱,瑞士各銀行紛紛開始向瑞士反洗錢報(bào)告辦公室(Swiss Money Laundering Reporting Office)報(bào)告一些沙特阿拉伯客戶的可疑賬戶活動。該辦公室是瑞士聯(lián)邦警察部門的一部分。
Lawyers acting for the banks have submitted information over the past week and expect several dozen submissions to be made in total, two people involved in the process said.
兩名參與報(bào)告過程的人士稱,代表這些銀行的律師們在過去一周提交了相關(guān)信息,這些律師還預(yù)計(jì)總共會提交數(shù)十份報(bào)告。
The exercise reflects the banks’ nervousness about being found in breach of rules governing money laundering and corruption. It follows the arrest in Saudi Arabia last month of more than 200 people, including some of the country’s richest businessmen and princes. They were detained at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh as part of an anti-graft operation launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s powerful heir apparent.
這些操作反映了銀行的緊張,生怕自己被發(fā)現(xiàn)違反有關(guān)洗錢和腐敗的規(guī)則。沙特阿拉伯在上月逮捕了200多人,其中包括該國一些最富有的商人和多位王子。他們被羈押在利雅得的麗思卡爾頓酒店(Ritz-Carlton Hotel),這是沙特權(quán)力極大的王儲穆罕默德•本•薩勒曼(Mohammed bin Salman,見文首照片)發(fā)起的反腐行動的一部分。
While Swiss banks strive to protect client confidentiality, they are obliged to report suspect transactions. So far the account reports have not led to action, such as searches or freezing accounts, by Swiss authorities.
盡管瑞士各銀行努力保守客戶機(jī)密,但他們有義務(wù)舉報(bào)可疑交易。到目前為止,有關(guān)賬戶活動的報(bào)告還沒有導(dǎo)致瑞士當(dāng)局采取行動,比如搜查或凍結(jié)賬戶。
Saudi officials must submit a formal request if they want access to the data, which is being analysed by the Swiss authorities. “As is standard procedure, incoming information is currently being assessed,” the office of the Swiss attorney-general told the Financial Times. “At this time, criminal proceedings in this connection have not been opened.”
如果沙特官員希望訪問相關(guān)數(shù)據(jù),他們必須提交正式申請書,目前瑞士當(dāng)局正在分析這些數(shù)據(jù)。“按照標(biāo)準(zhǔn)程序,目前正在評估收到的信息,”瑞士總檢察長辦公室對英國《金融時(shí)報(bào)》表示。“目前尚未在這方面啟動刑事訴訟。”
Swiss bankers also say they have begun to prepare cash transfers on behalf of clients, as princes and business people seek to settle allegations against them. The crown prince is seeking to recover at least $100bn through the crackdown on “systematic corruption and embezzlement” that took place over several decades.
瑞士銀行業(yè)人士還表示,他們已開始準(zhǔn)備幫客戶轉(zhuǎn)賬,因?yàn)楸蛔サ耐踝雍蜕倘思娂妼で蠡ㄥX了結(jié)針對自己的指控。王儲正力求通過打擊持續(xù)幾十年的“系統(tǒng)性腐敗和貪污”,收回至少1000億美元。
The Gulf state’s regulator has asked local and foreign banks to disclose if they have credit facilities and safety-deposit boxes in the names of those arrested, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the media-savvy investor with stakes in companies including Citigroup and Twitter.
這個(gè)海灣國家的監(jiān)管機(jī)構(gòu)已請求本國和外資銀行披露其有沒有在押人員開設(shè)的信貸安排和保管箱。這些人包括億萬富豪阿爾瓦利德•本•塔拉勒(Alwaleed bin Talal)王子,這個(gè)善于同媒體打交道的投資者在花旗集團(tuán)(Citigroup)和Twitter等公司持有股份。
One person familiar with the process said the focus on Saudi accounts was similar to previous episodes regarding possible suspect funds held in Swiss accounts linked to scandals at Fifa, world football’s governing body, and Petrobras, the Brazilian oil company.
熟悉相關(guān)程序的一名人士表示,對沙特阿拉伯賬戶的關(guān)注,類似于以前國際足聯(lián)(Fifa)和巴西國家石油公司(Petrobras)的丑聞爆發(fā)時(shí),某些疑似有牽連的瑞士賬戶受到的關(guān)注。
Large volumes of Saudi money are held in the Alpine country, much of it old wealth. “It’s been here for 30 or 50 years, it’s not nouveaux riches,” said the person familiar with the process.
來自沙特的巨額資金存放在這個(gè)阿爾卑斯山國家,其中很大一部分是舊財(cái)富。“那些錢放在這里已經(jīng)有三五十年了,這可不是新貴的財(cái)富,”上述人士表示。
Credit Suisse said recent developments in Saudi Arabia had so far had “no implications on our business”, while UBS declined to comment on its clients.
瑞信(Credit Suisse)表示,沙特阿拉伯最近的事態(tài)發(fā)展迄今“對我行的業(yè)務(wù)沒有影響”,而瑞銀(UBS)拒絕發(fā)表有關(guān)客戶的評論。