Moneyval Mutual Evaluation Report
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COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON THE EVALUATION OF ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MEASURES AND THE FINANCING OF TERRORISM (MONEYVAL) MONEYVAL(2019)27 Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing measures Cyprus Fifth Round Mutual Evaluation Report December 2019 0 The Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism - MONEYVAL is a permanent monitoring body of the Council of Europe entrusted with the task of assessing compliance with the principal international standards to counter money laundering and the financing of terrorism and the effectiveness of their implementation, as well as with the task of making recommendations to national authorities in respect of necessary improvements to their systems. Through a dynamic process of mutual evaluations, peer review and regular follow-up of its reports, MONEYVAL aims to improve the capacities of national authorities to fight money laundering and the financing of terrorism more effectively. All rights reserved. Reproduction is authorised, provided the source The fifth-round mutual is acknowledged, save where otherwise stated. For any use for evaluation report on Cyprus commercial purposes, no part of this publication may be translated, was adopted by the reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic MONEYVAL Committee at its (CD-ROM, Internet, etc.) or mechanical, including photocopying, 59th Plenary Session recording or any information storage or retrieval system without (Strasbourg, 2-6 December prior permission in writing from the MONEYVAL Secretariat, 2019). Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe (F-67075 Strasbourg or [email protected]) 1 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Risks and General Situation ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Overall Level of Compliance and Effectiveness ......................................................................................................... 5 Priority Actions .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Effectiveness & Technical Compliance Ratings ...................................................................................................... 12 MUTUAL EVALUATION REPORT ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Preface ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 1. ML/TF RISKS AND CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................................ 15 1.1. ML/TF Risks and Scoping of Higher Risk Issues ............................................................................................ 15 1.2. Materiality ...................................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.3. Structural Elements ................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.4. Background and Other Contextual Factors ...................................................................................................... 18 2. NATIONAL AML/CFT POLICIES AND COORDINATION ...................................................................................... 27 2.1. Key Findings and Recommended Actions ........................................................................................................ 27 2.2. Immediate Outcome 1 (Risk, Policy and Coordination) ............................................................................. 28 3. LEGAL SYSTEM AND OPERATIONAL ISSUES .......................................................................................................... 38 3.1. Key Findings and Recommended Actions ........................................................................................................ 38 3.2. Immediate Outcome 6 (Financial Intelligence ML/TF)............................................................................... 42 3.3. Immediate Outcome 7 (ML investigation and prosecution) ..................................................................... 57 3.4. Immediate Outcome 8 (Confiscation) ................................................................................................................ 69 4. TERRORIST FINANCING AND FINANCING OF PROLIFERATION ................................................................... 80 4.1. Key Findings and Recommended Actions ........................................................................................................ 80 4.2. Immediate Outcome 9 (TF investigation and prosecution) ...................................................................... 83 4.3. Immediate Outcome 10 (TF preventive measures and financial sanctions) ..................................... 91 4.4. Immediate Outcome 11 (PF financial sanctions)........................................................................................... 96 5. PREVENTIVE MEASURES .............................................................................................................................................. 101 5.1. Key Findings and Recommended Actions ...................................................................................................... 101 5.2. Immediate Outcome 4 (Preventive Measures) ............................................................................................. 102 6. SUPERVISION ..................................................................................................................................................................... 118 6.1. Immediate Outcome 3 (Supervision) ............................................................................................................... 120 7. LEGAL PERSONS AND ARRANGEMENTS ................................................................................................................ 157 7.1. Immediate Outcome 5 (Legal Persons and Arrangements) .................................................................... 158 8. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.............................................................................................................................. 168 8.1. Immediate Outcome 2 (International Cooperation) .................................................................................. 169 TECHNICAL COMPLIANCE ANNEX ................................................................................................................................ 192 Recommendation 1 – Assessing risks and applying a risk-based approach ................................................. 192 Recommendation 2 - National Cooperation and Coordination .......................................................................... 194 Recommendation 3 - Money laundering offence ...................................................................................................... 195 Recommendation 4 - Confiscation and provisional measures ........................................................................... 196 2 Recommendation 5 - Terrorist financing offence .................................................................................................... 199 Recommendation 6 - Targeted financial sanctions related to terrorism and terrorist financing ........ 201 Recommendation 7 – Targeted financial sanctions related to proliferation ................................................ 205 Recommendation 8 – Non-profit organisations ....................................................................................................... 207 Recommendation 9 – Financial institution secrecy laws ...................................................................................... 211 Recommendation 10 – Customer due diligence ....................................................................................................... 211 Recommendation 11 – Record-keeping ....................................................................................................................... 214 Recommendation 12 – Politically exposed persons ................................................................................................ 215 Recommendation 13 – Correspondent banking ....................................................................................................... 216 Recommendation 14 – Money or value transfer services .................................................................................... 216 Recommendation 15 – New technologies ................................................................................................................... 217 Recommendation 16 – Wire transfers .......................................................................................................................... 218