Banks in the Netherlands are still too lax when it comes to spotting and preventing money laundering, the Dutch central bank has told finance minister Wopke Hoekstra.
The central bank was responding to questions about the €775m out of court settlement reached by ING with the public prosecution department for allowing money laundering to go on unimpeded for several years.
The central bank said in a briefing to Hoekstra that ING is not the only bank to get it wrong. ‘Banks too often are not carrying out their gatekeeper function properly,’ the central bank said.
‘Despite measures to ensure this and additional emphasis on the rules and regulation, the central bank notes that difference financial institutions are not taking their responsibilities sufficiently seriously,’ the statement said.
In particular, the central bank said executives should become more involved in anti-money laundering strategy and that they should give a ‘personal commitment’ to making sure the bank was not involved in fraud or economic crime.
Hoekstra, in his note to MPs, said he agreed with the recommendation. ‘Culture begins at the top, with the management board,’ he said.
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