Share

cover art for E42: Is the EU's new UBO ruling a Christmas gift to criminals?

The Laundry

E42: Is the EU's new UBO ruling a Christmas gift to criminals?

Season 1, Ep. 42

The EU's new Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) ruling has been making headlines all over Europe. At first glance, it appears to be a major win for those who think public UBO registers infringe on the right to privacy. But is it instead a gigantic Christmas gift to the criminals?


In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of the new UBO ruling with Thom Townsend, Executive Director at OpenOwnership and look at how it could affect the fight against financial crime.


Join us as we investigate whether the new UBO ruling is a blessing or a curse.


From this episode, you'll learn:


01:32 - 04:59 What is this recent ruling from the Court Justice of the European Union?


04:50 - 06:06 An excellent example of why ending public access to UBO registers is a bad idea.


06:07 - 10:40 Do the EU put privacy over AML?


10:53 - 14:21 Are there any examples of documented harm due to the open UBO registers? 


14:22 - 17:30 What were the key takeaways from the CSABOT (Civil Society Advancing Beneficial Ownership Transparency) conference in Brussels last week?


17:31 - 20:17 Why the EU now has a massive responsibility for clarifying and defining the new ruling.


20:32 - 24:28 Will AML6 overrule this?


24:30 - 28:36 Why the banks and the public industry must step up now.


28:39 - 33:08 Many countries are keeping their UBO registers open. Will governments put their national laws above the EU ruling?


33:10 - 37:58 Which countries have the most effective implementation of ownership transparency right now?

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Re-Spin: Revealing the financial crime risks of the football industry

    38:04|
    It's the festive season, so we’re leaving you a little something in your podcast stocking.We are diving into The Laundry archives and bringing you some of our favourite episodes of the podcast to date.This week: our expert host, Fredrik Riiser, is joined by Fredrik Söderberg, CEO & Club Director, of AIK Fotboll to discuss: the financial crime risks of the football industry. The United Nations estimates that around 140 billion dollars is laundered through football every year. So, how did the beautiful game become the playing field of financial foul play?The pair discuss: the football industry's vulnerabilities to financial crime, the impact of upcoming EU regulation, and the need to get this right for fans and players alike.____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • Re-Spin: How can compliance keep the legal world ethical?

    34:36|
    It's the festive season, so we’re leaving you a little something in your podcast stocking.We are diving into The Laundry archives and bringing you some of our favourite episodes of the podcast to date.This week: our host, Marit Rødevand, is joined by Bruno Edenogie, Head of EU Compliance & Data Protection Officer at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe to discuss: How can compliance keep the legal worth ethical? They discuss how does AML and compliance keeps the sector on the straight and narrow, the biggest challenges when it comes to money laundering, politically exposed persons, and sanctioned individuals, and why it's so important to get this right.____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • 15. E107: The financial crime stories that mattered in 2024

    43:20||Season 6, Ep. 15
    There’s no such thing as a slow year in this industry—stories of scandals, crimes, fines, and regulations just keep on coming.But even with that in mind, 2024 feels like a standout year.So, what should compliance professionals focus on? How do we separate what’s truly important from what’s just entertaining?Our expert host, Marit Rødevand, is joined by Jesal Punjani, Managing Director at Plenitude Consulting, and Neil Donovan, Partner at Ashurst, to discuss: the financial crime stories that mattered in 2024 Stories discussed: EU's new Anti-Money Laundering Authority to be based in FrankfurtBanks must refund fraud up to £85,000 in five daysFinance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’Starling Bank fined £29m for ‘shockingly lax’ financial crime controlsUK should pay whistleblowers to cut financial crime, says think-tank12 suspects and 15 companies charged with massive VAT fraudProducer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • 14. E106: Hiding in plain sight: the enablers of financial crime

    29:25||Season 6, Ep. 14
    One of the dirtiest secrets of financial crime and money laundering is that there is a whole professional network of facilitators or enablers who help run the whole thing.Without these experts, many criminals wouldn’t have the first idea about how to conceal their funds, dodge sanctions, or wash their criminal earnings.These enablers are hiding in plain sight…and there is NOTHING we can do about it! Or can we?Our expert host, Robin Lycka, is joined by Maíra Martini, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Transparency International, and Kristin Nordland Brattli, Partner at Wikborg Rein, to ask: how can we stop the enablers of financial crime? The panel discuss: how this networks works and operates, the challenges in stopping it, and the potential solutions in tackling this issue. Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • 13. 105: Everything you need to know about UBOs

    32:10||Season 6, Ep. 13
    Discovering the structures, identifying the key players, and uncovering potential shadowy influences behind a business—UBO discovery is among the most critical tasks for any compliance professional.But how does UBO mapping differ from KYC and other compliance processes? Why is it essential to implement? And what role does it play in the global fight against financial crime?Our expert hosts – Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka –  are teaming up to bring you everything you need to know about UBOs. They discuss: the current state of play in UBO discovery, the biggest challenges, and what the future may look like in this area. Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.The views, opinions, and statements expressed by guests of this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the podcast hosts, The Laundry team, or Strise.
  • 12. 104: What the 1MDB scandal tells us about how the world really works

    29:14||Season 6, Ep. 12
    A Malaysian government fund – set up to boost the country’s economy – becomes one of the biggest frauds in history!Billions of dollars were siphoned from the state purse and funnelled through shell companies, banks, and other financial institutions worldwide.While this scandal is no longer making headlines, it doesn’t mean it’s over...We are joined by investigative journalist and co-author of Billion Dollar Whale, Bradley Hope, to explore: What does the 1MDB scandal tell us about how the world really works? Bradley was the keynote speaker at our recent live event at the Ministry of Sound in London, where the audience hung on his every word about big finance and corruption. Now, we're bringing that conversation to you!Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon, Robin Day____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.The views, opinions, and statements expressed by guests of this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the podcast hosts, The Laundry team, or Strise.
  • 11. 103: What impact will Trump have on financial crime globally?

    34:36||Season 6, Ep. 11
    The Donald Trump sequel is happening—and this time, it’s personal!The former U.S. President has returned to the White House despite controversies, court cases, provocative statements, riots, and more.But what does it mean for the financial crime space to have the first convicted criminal elected to the Oval Office?Our expert host, Marit Rødevand, is joined by journalist Oliver Bullough to discuss: how Trump’s presidency could impact financial crime and money laundering globally.The pair discuss: the role of US in setting global standards, the dark money swirling around Donald Trump's campaign, and what we can expect in the next four years. Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • 10. 102: Are we fighting financial crime, or just ticking boxes?

    41:17||Season 6, Ep. 10
    Live from the Ministry of Sound in London!What if we could combine all the knowledge from our industry into one powerful source? Connecting all that expertise, years of career experience, all those war stories, and secret knowledge together. We used AI to compress 60 hours of podcasting, 80 experts, and 360,000 words of conversation into one AML Megamind AI. Then we put it to the test against the experts!Our expert host, Marit Rødevand, is joined by Chloe Cina of RUSI, Jessica Cath of Thistle Initiatives, and Mitch Trehan of Allica Bank. The panel discuss three provocative statements: "the compliance industry is more focused on box-ticking than truly fighting financial crime", "sanctions are great for headlines - but criminals use them as a roadmap", and "AI hasn't stopped criminals—it’s just made their jobs easier".Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon, Robin Warren____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand, Fredrik Riiser, and Robin Lycka – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here.
  • 9. E101: Unpacking the new UK Government's fight against financial crime

    31:35||Season 6, Ep. 9
    After fourteen years of the Conservative party, July’s general election saw a huge swing to Labour – who pledged to provide a different kind of politics.New UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recently reached the milestone of 100 days in charge – which means it’s time to look at what has been achieved so far.Our expert host, Robin Lycka, is joined by Helena Wood, Director of Public Policy and Strategic Engagement at Cifas to ask: What impact has the new UK Government had on financial crime and compliance? The pair discuss: the significant changes under Keir Starmer’s time in charge, the biggest challenges of the first 100 days when it comes to compliance, sanctions, and regulation, and what we can expect going forward.Producer: Matthew Dunne-MilesEditor: Dominic DelargyEngineer: Nicholas Thon____________________________________The Laundry podcast: Dive deep into the intricacies of financial crime, AML (anti-money laundering), compliance, sanctions, and the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation.Hosted by Marit Rødevand and Fredrik Riiser – this podcast features renowned experts from banking, fintech, compliance, and investigative journalism.Together, they shed light on the industry's trending topics, analyse mainstream news through a compliance-focused lens, and connect the fight against financial crime to its real-world consequences and ramifications.The Laundry is proudly produced by Strise, the AML Automation Cloud.Get in touch at: laundry@strise.aiSubscribe to our newsletter, Fresh Laundry, here. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by guests of this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the podcast hosts, The Laundry team, or Strise.

Comments