渣打銀行再次面臨美國鉅額罰單

Standard Chartered is in talks to pay up to $300m to New York’s top banking regulator to settle allegations that it failed to identify suspicious transactions, despite promising to improve procedures after it was fined for violating sanctions rules two years ago.

渣打銀行(Standard Chartered)正在商談，擬向紐約州最高銀行業監管機構支付最高達3億美元的罰金，以就某些指控達成和解。該行被指未能分辨可疑交易——儘管在兩年前因違反制裁法規而被罰款之後，該行曾承諾要改善工作流程。

New York’s Department of Financial Services could announce the settlement this week, people familiar with the matter said. StanChart will also probably agree to disciplinary measures, such as extending the contract of an independent monitor charged with rooting out dubious transactions.

知情人士表示，紐約州金融服務管理局(New York state Department of Financial Services，簡稱DFS)可能會在本週公佈這一和解協議。渣打銀行還可能同意接受一些紀律處分，比如延長獨立監督員的合同，由其負責排除可疑交易。

The current investigation is a follow-up to the bank’s 2012 settlement with US authorities, including the DFS, which alleged StanChart violated US sanctions laws that prohibited transactions with Sudan, Iran, Libya and Myanmar. As part of that $667m agreement– $340m of which went to New York authorities – StanChart agreed to put in place an independent monitor to evaluate the bank’s adherence to the settlement and to ensure it stopped processing prohibited transactions.

當前的調查是該行2012年與包括DFS在內的美國當局達成和解的後續事件。當時DFS指控渣打銀行違反了美國禁止與蘇丹、伊朗、利比亞及緬甸開展交易的制裁法律。作爲那次6.67億美元（其中3.40億美元交給了紐約州政府）和解條款中的一部分，渣打銀行同意設置一個獨立監督員，以評估該行對和解協議的執行情況，並確保該行不再處理被禁止的交易。

The UK-based bank disclosed the new investigation this month. At the time, Peter Sands, StanChart’s chief executive, said the potential violation related to a 2007 update of the group’s post-transaction surveillance systems, which had been “poorly implemented”. As a result, its anti-money laundering checks had failed to flag suspicious or potentially illegal payments, Mr Sands said.

本月這家總部駐英國的銀行披露了新的調查。當時渣打銀行首席執行官冼博德(Peter Sands)表示，可能的違規與2007年該行對交易後監控系統的升級有關——那次升級“實施得十分糟糕”。冼博德表示，其結果是，該行的反洗錢檢查機制無法察覺可疑或可能違法的支付。

The DFS, led by Benjamin Lawsky, believes millions of suspicious transactions were not reported, although it is not clear whether they were illegal.

以本傑明•勞斯基(Benjamin Lawsky)爲首的DFS相信有數百萬可疑的交易未曾彙報，儘管目前還不清楚這些交易是否違法。

The costly settlement would be another blow for StanChart amid growing disquiet among some of its biggest shareholders over the duo who led its rapid expansion during the past decade: Mr Sands, chief executive since 2006, and Sir John Peace, chairman since 2009.

對渣打銀行來說，這次代價高昂的和解協議可能成爲又一次重大打擊。目前，該行某些大股東對過去十年領導該行快速擴張的二人組合日益感到不安：2006年以來擔任首席執行官的冼博德，以及2009年以來擔任董事長的莊貝思爵士(Sir John Peace)。

After surviving the financial crisis relatively unscathed and enjoying more than a decade of annual double-digit profit growth, StanChart suffered a downturn in performance with pre-tax profits falling a fifth in the first half of the year.

在以相對少的損失挺過金融危機並獲得逾十年的兩位數年度利潤增長之後，渣打銀行遭遇了業績下滑。今年上半年該行稅前利潤減少了五分之一。

The penalty of up to $300m is steep for a follow-on settlement and comes close to the 2012 fine, reflecting Mr Lawsky’s determination that banks that sign up to terms need to adhere to them.

就後續和解而言，最高達3億美元的罰金有些嚴苛，它接近了2012年渣打支付的罰款金額。這一點反映出勞斯基堅信的一個看法：簽署條款的銀行應該不折不扣地執行它們。

StanChart has had a rocky time with US authorities since the 2012 deal. Sir John irritated regulators when he dismissed the bank’s actions as “clerical errors” rather than “wilful” intention to break rules.

自2012年簽署和解協議以來，渣打銀行與美國有關部門的關係一直不好。莊貝思爵士曾將該行的行爲淡化爲“筆誤”而不是“故意”違反規則，這讓監管機構十分惱火。

His comments earned Sir John, Mr Sands and then finance director Richard Meddings, a summons to Washington, where they were personally reprimanded. Sir John was forced to apologise to investors and the bank’s staff and admitted his remarks had been “both legally and factually incorrect”.

他這番言論曾導致他本人、冼博德以及時任財務總監麥定思(Richard Meddings)被召至華盛頓接受當面訓斥。莊貝思爵士被迫向投資者及該行員工道歉，承認他的說法“在法律上和事實上都是錯誤的”。

StanChart and DFS declined to comment.

渣打銀行和DFS均拒絕置評。