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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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time
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082189
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08218900.007
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1990-09-19
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BUSINESS, Page 47Business NotesINVESTIGATIONSWringing Out a Money Laundry
Colombia's Banco de Occidente has no U.S. branches, but its
Panamanian subsidiary did a booming underground business in
America. The Panama bank is expected to plead guilty in Atlanta
federal court this week to charges that it laundered hundreds of
millions of dollars in drug profits for Colombia's Medellin cocaine
cartel. The bank allegedly collected the illicit money in New York
bank accounts, from which money was wired electronically to Europe
and Latin America.
As part of the plea agreement, the Panamanian bank could pay
a $5 million fine, giving up most of its $6.7 million net worth.
The fine would be the largest U.S. penalty ever paid by a bank on
money-laundering charges and would be the first time a foreign bank
with no formal operations in the U.S. has been convicted of such
violations.