From ‘risky’ to ‘a big step forward’; AML expert in Sweden’s finance watchdog praises EU’s latest plan on centralised anti-money laundering supervision

Regulatory Watch News

• 

  Detectorist who tried to sell Anglo-Saxon coins ordered to pay back over £100k

  The Crown Prosecution Service

  April 28, 2025

  A metal detectorist who tried to sell rare Anglo-Saxon coins for a Saxon hoard has been ordered to pay back the £103,000 from the proceeds of his crimes. Roger Pilling, who was convicted of trying to sell the coins to an American buyer in 2023, was today given a Confiscation Order at Durham Crown Court. Pilling had held 46 Anglo-Saxon coins, which date back to 879AD under the rule of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and include two extremely rare ‘Two Emperor’ coins which were issued by King Alfred and Ceolwulf II of Mercia. Of the 46 coins, which hold particular historical and cultural significance and were valued at over £750,000, 41 were recovered during the original sting operation.

• 

  EPPO appeals to the Court of Justice of the EU against the European Court of Auditors’ refusal to cooperate in a criminal investigation

  April 28, 2025

  (Luxembourg, 28 April 2025) - On 10 February 2025, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) filed an appeal (case number T-99/25) to the Court of Justice of the European Union, under Article 263, paragraph 4, TFEU, against the decision of the European Court of Auditors denying the request of the EPPO to allow a number of staff members of the Court of Auditors to testify in an ongoing criminal investigation. The summary of the appeal has been published today in the Official Journal.

• 

  SFC reprimands and fines Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited $4.2 million for regulatory breaches

  Securities and Futures Commission

  April 28, 2025

  The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has reprimanded and fined Interactive Brokers Hong Kong Limited (IBHK) $4.2 million for regulatory breaches in relation to the handling of client assets. The SFC’s investigation found that between 3 December 2017 and 23 October 2020, IBHK relied on expired standing authority of 7,911 clients and loaned their securities listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited pursuant to a securities borrowing and lending agreement. The incident arose from IBHK’s failure to send these clients renewal notices of the standing authority during the material time due to a programming error.