Financial Crime Anti-Money Laundering

AUGUSTINE IWUH

Telephone: 078********

E-mail: ************@*****.***

Personal Profile

I am a Part Qualified Accountant with specialist experience in global financial crime, Regulatory Reporting, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) investigations, Know Your Customer (KYC), Customer Due Diligence, Sanctions, Anti-Bribery & Corruption (ABC), CFT/CTF, Financial Crime and Regulatory Compliance, having worked in similar capacities in the Financial Services Sector. I have strong technical understanding of the UK and international financial crime - KYC/AML legislations and regulations; including MiFID classification, PEPS reviews as well as refresh and remediation of Corporate clients CDD files, which ranges from Limited Liability Companies, Publicly listed companies, Non-Publicly listed companies, hedge funds, Investment Banking, SPV’s, Correspondence Banks, Bearers Shares, Trusts, Charities, NGO, Partnership, International Trade Financing, Commodities, Asset Management & shipping etc.

Other Key Skills/Qualities

Good knowledge of global financial crime requirements - including US Patriot Act, Joint Money Laundering Steering Group Guidance Notes, the Money Laundering Regulations, Bank Secrecy Act, SoCA, PoCA and global sanctions (including OFAC), Third and Fourth EU Money Laundering Directive, FSCS, FATCA, EMIR, JMLSG, BCOBS

Proven experience of analyzing complex legal structure (Structure chart), organizational and time management skills resulting in ability to manage numerous projects simultaneously, Ability to influence and build constructive relationships within a team, make positive contributions and champion constructive ideas for team performance.

Professional, self-motivated, deadline-driven team player able to work in an ever-changing environment.

Software Skills

Exceptional computer skills including advanced ability in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, CRM Dynamics, SQL, Oracle, and Microsoft Office Tools; experience with research tools such as Lexis Nexus/World Compliance, Goalkeeper (UID), OB&AO, DN Equifax, Dun & Bradstreet, Dow Jones, AML Manager, Public records, and other internet research sites; with an acute capability to quickly learn new systems and software applications.

Education & Professional Qualifications

ACCA – Part Qualified (In view)

B.A(Hons) - 2006

ICA – (Advanced Certificate in Anti-Money Laundering) – October 2015

Career History

Bank of America July 2023 to December 2024

Global Financial Crime Analyst.

Responsible for investigations research and reporting financial crime suspicious activities to Senior Manager/MLRO.

Investigation root cause analysis regarding highly complex financial crimes transactions in line with regulatory requirements, FCA, EU money laundering directive & JMLSG.

Drafting and reporting and filing suspicious activity reports (SARs).

Acts as a liaison between legal and law enforcement agencies and represent the organisations as second line of defence.

Managed criminal investigations case file and review red flags, fraud, criminal indictments and money laundering crimes for legal and law enforcement agencies, use for court prosecutions leading to search warrants, arrests, criminal indictments, and state convictions and recovery of proceeds of crime.

Drafts corrective action plans and assists in managing change to prevent/mitigate risk and performs risk analysis and modelling and building financial crime strategies to monitor financial crime risk.

Investigate fraudulent transactions and unusual activity reports and fraud scam.

Investigated and provide guidance and advice to front line on regulatory requirements and provide risk associated with higher risk customer’s, transactions, products, services and geographic jurisdictions and related compliances requirements and controls and regulatory expectations and/or industry practices.

Actively involved in all enquiries & queries relating to Sanctions, Suspicious Act, Red Flags, Negative news and UAF (Unusual Activity Forms), and EDR (Events Driven Reviews).

Effectively collating and reviewing documentations to remediate the bank’s counterparty file to AML standard and ensuring compliance with the bank’s regulatory authority’s guidance line.

Ensure the minimum details for client’s source of Wealth/Funds (SoW/SoF) are captured in compliance with financial regulatory requirements

JPMorgan Chase January 2022 to May 2023

Quality Control Compliance Analyst – High Risk Remediation

Provided feedback on work completed by other investigators to ensure quality, accuracy, and compliance of client’s case files meets bank policy guidance, FCA, OFAC, FATF and Money Laundering Regulations and using risk base approach in the period review.

Interpreting and reviewing documents such as Prospectus, Certificate of incumbency, Trust Deed, Nominees agreements Offering memorandum, Board resolutions, LLC/LP/LLP Agreements, Articles of Incorporation/Association for EDD, and risk mitigation.

Review analyst SOW and SOF corroboration and analysis and ensure all items of source of wealth & fund are sourced using approved documents, website, registry, and stock exchange etc. to corroborate and drafting source of wealth & Fund report to build plausibility on the proceeds of funds injected into client’s accounts.

Conducting risk assessment on various corporate structure e.g., Funds, Charities, Trusts, Partnerships, Financial Institutions, SPV’s and Hedge Funds etc., based on JMLSG and WBM guidelines.

Review and feedback analyst on related parties and entities screening performed on case files and ensure sanction searches using world check, LexisNexis(Adverse Press Media) are performed using the right filters and result discounted accordingly.

Ensure all red flags, material negative news, sanctions and PEP exposures are escalated, and risk base approach are applied.

KPMG (UK) March 2020 to December 2021

KYC Specialist – Remediation Review

Performed extensive research related to politically Exposed Persons, their family members, and close associates whistle On-boarding/ Remediating client’s cases files to mitigate risk.

Investigate, checked, and verified customer ID&V for AML and KYC purpose in line with regulatory rules.

Ensure the minimum details for client’s source of Wealth/Funds (SoW/SoF) are captured in compliance with financial regulatory requirements.

Pro-actively gathering intelligence from media reports, & UID system and other appropriate websites to identify Clients involved in any fraud, CTF / ML / Market Abuse, Bribery and Corruption before on-boarding and at periodic refresh.

Assisted in ensuring that teams adhere to the newly introduced FATCA regulation by conducting a FATCA Business Eligibility Check (FBEC) which detects the critical combination of a FATCA relevant product’s and non FATCA Compliant Client’s.

Ensure all KP’s, UBO & RBO are electronically or manually duly identified and verified using DN (Decision Navigator & Equifax), and undergo appropriate screen’s (APC, Sanction, PEP, & UID) with a robust software system in line with the financial regulatory authority policies and guidance.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Chester) January 2019 to December 2019

Client Service Offboarding (Future & Options)

Performed Customer Due Diligence on corporate clients by identifying and verifying the following information using approved sources i.e., Full legal name, Evidence of legal form, Country of incorporation, Registered address, Nature of business, Purpose of account or relationship, Ownership structure, expected account activity, Investment Managers, Administrator, Custodian and Authorised Representative adhering to procedure with the view to retained accurate client’s records for continuous banking relationship and offboarding deficient/incomplete clients data and records.

Responsible for conducting Enhance Due Diligence and Event Driven Review on clients, & PEP’s and jurisdictions of different entities ranging from Limited Liability Companies, Publicly Quoted Companies (i.e., Regulated and Unregulated Markets, equivalent and non-equivalent jurisdiction), Correspondence/Foreign Banks, SIPP, Trusts, Bond, Charities, NGOs, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV), Regulated and Unregulated Funds (including Hedge Funds, Pension funds etc.).

Investigated compliance and specific country sanction prohibitions from sources included on; Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), EU Sanctions, UK and UN list’s & raising SARs on red flag documents, transaction, adverse press & screening and escalate to MLRO for further action.

Identifying anti-money laundering (AML) risks and red flags indicators arising from reviewing client files such as unusual transaction pattern, opaque connect with high jurisdiction, complex beneficial ownership, bearer share & nominee structure, based on JMLSG/FATF / AML Compliances guidance’s and legislations, & risk-based approach.

Working closely with Group Compliance team to ensure accounts are recertified in compliance to CDD / KYC standards and policies.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) February 2018 to November 2018

KYC Analyst – High Risk/CDD Remediation

Conduct a full 4 eyes function as part of the quality control team in line with internal guidance, policies, and regulations.

Perform control functions as second line of defence to ensure quality standard of client case file of remediation and periodic review of corporate clients meets with regulatory requirements, FCA, EU money laundering directive & JMLSG.

Regularly reviewed and screened customers to identify Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) and businesses related to PEP’s (such as a business where one of the Directors are PEP) and ensure classification of into High Risk or Standard Risk & PEPs as well ensure records keeping as prescribe by EU laws.

Actively involved in all enquiries & queries relating to Sanctions, Suspicious Act, Red Flags, Negative news and UAF (Unusual Activity Forms), and EDR (Events Driven Reviews).

Arab Bank Corporation International Plc, London (UK) October 2017 to December 2017

KYC Analyst – Client Onboarding/Sanction Screening Review

Investigated ownership structures to identify all ultimate beneficiaries’ owner (UBO&RBO) and calculate KYC Risk assessment for risk management purposes base on risk base approach.

Responsible for conducting Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and Enhance Due Diligence on corporate clients, which ranges from Limited Liability Companies, Publicly Quoted Companies (i.e., Regulated and Unregulated Markets, equivalent and non-equivalent jurisdiction), Correspondence/Foreign Banks, Partnerships, Trusts, Charities, NGOs, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV), Regulated and Unregulated Funds (including Hedge Funds, Pension funds etc.).

Investigating sanction targets, Special Designated Nationals (SDNs) and specific country sanction prohibitions from sources included on; Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), EU Sanctions, UK, and UN list’s & raising SARs.

Anti-Money Laundering AML: Identifying anti-money laundering (AML) Compliance risks arising from changes in customer data, such as changes in regulated status, listed status or trading status, beneficial ownership of entities, based on JMLSG/AML Compliances guidance’s and legislation.

European Investment Bank (EIB - Luxembourg) October 2016 to March 2017

AML/KYC Analyst – High Risk Remediation

Effectively collating and reviewing documentations to remediate the bank’s counterparty file to AML standard and ensuring compliance with the bank’s regulatory authority’s guidance line.

Responsible for QA reviews of surveillance items flagged as potentially suspicious transaction and ensure that items flagged as potential adverse media or PEP matches are escalated to designated sanctions targets and prohibited persons lists.

Analyse and review alert closure comments by analyst and due diligence findings, conclusions, and corrective action to ensure firm quality review standards are met & reporting SARs to MLRO.

Regularly reviewed and screened customers to identify Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) and businesses related to PEP’s (such as a business where one of the Directors are PEP) and ensure classification of into High Risk or Standard Risk & PEPs as well ensure records keeping as prescribe by EU laws.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) August 2015 to October 2016

AML Analyst – Clients On-boarding/ High Risk Remediation

Collating and reviewing documentation for on boarding new clients as bank corporate customers and ensuring compliance with the Financial Services and Markets Act, and specifically with the Money Laundering Regulations and ensuring the implementation and adherence of NatWest/RBS bank account opening procedures.

Client Due Diligence (CDD): Corroboration and verification of source of wealth, background checks and analysis including sanction searches using World Check, Electoral roll, LexisNexis (Adverse Press Media), Client risk classification and address verification, rejecting files that fall short of CDD requirements.

Provide guidance to the front office with regard on-boarding polices and account initiation, compliance with FCA, OFAC, FATF, and JMLSG Guidance.

REFERENCES: Available on request

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