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Fifa corruption scandal
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Hong Kong's role in the growing corruption scandal engulfing world soccer has taken a new twist. Photo: AFP

Fifa 'bribe' funnelled via HSBC in Hong Kong came from US bank fined for link to Colombian drug cartel

Payment allegedly funnelled via HSBC in HK linked to US lender fined for cartel ties

Hong Kong's role in the growing corruption scandal engulfing world soccer has taken a new twist after it emerged that alleged bribes funnelled to a top Fifa official through an HSBC bank account in the city came from a bank in the US once linked to a Colombian drug cartel.

New details of the alleged bribe to Fifa official Costas Takkas - who remains under arrest in Switzerland pending extradition to the US - come as a global inter-governmental body which oversees the anti-money laundering efforts of member states, including Hong Kong, told the "red flags" should have been raised over transactions linked to Fifa.

Earlier this week US Justice Department officials claimed an HSBC bank account in Hong Kong was one of a number used to funnel millions of dollars in bribes to Fifa officials.

It is now known that in 2003 the bank named in documents released by US investigators, Delta National Bank and Trust Company, pleaded guilty to failing to report transactions linked to a Colombian drug cartel.

It is understood US regulatory officials are taking a renewed interest in Delta National.

Yesterday a spokesman for HSBC in Hong Kong did not answer specific questions about why the payments from the Miami-based bank were not flagged, given the bank's history.

"We are continuing to review the allegations … to ensure that our services are not being misused for financial crime," the spokesman said.

According to the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) - which oversees anti-money-laundering efforts - Fifa officials could be considered "politically exposed" and be subject to greater scrutiny.

"An ongoing public debate about the integrity of any entity should raise sufficient red flags to financial institutions to treat customers that are related to that entity as high-risk customers," said an FATF spokesman.

Earlier this week, the deputy chief of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang, warned that banks could face fines if they did not fully comply with anti-money-laundering requirements.

Last night a HKMA spokesman insisted that just because an individual was not designated as "politically exposed" did not mean they were not subject to proper due diligence. He declined to comment on oversight issues related to Delta National Bank and HSBC.

Meanwhile, reported that the US Justice Department believed that HSBC's procedures to prevent money laundering, sanction-breaking and criminal activity had flaws so serious that to disclose them risked serious crime. The claim was in a US court motion by the department which wants to keep confidential a report on the bank.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Fifa 'bribe' came via bank with drug link
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