Suspicious Transactions Report and Financial Intelligence Units in Comparative Law

Orçun Kiremitci

Article Details

Suspicious Transactions Report and Financial Intelligence Units in Comparative Law

Authors:

Orçun Kiremitci

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk

Journal:

Yıldırım Beyazıt Hukuk Dergisi Issue 1, pp.107-163

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283302

pISSN:

2149-5831

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Financial intelligence units are established in almost every country in order to comply to the FATF Recommendations and other international regulations. These institutions are responsible for receiving and processing suspicious transaction reports. The Financial Crimes Investigation Board MASAK, which is Türkiyes financial intelligence service, carries out analysis and investigation activities as a result of suspicious transaction reports. Although the MASAK is fully compatible with FATF recommendations, it is incompatible with the standards of the European Union, as it is not an independent and autonomous institution. Suspicion that causes the obligation to report transactions STR is the suspicion that arises before the obligator and is the result of subjective evaluation. STR should be made if the action is considered to be illegal even if it has no relationship with any crime. This suspicion does not need to be at the level of knowledge of crime or initial suspicion that the crime has been committed. MASAK is a judicial law enforcement within the scope of the crime of financing terrorism and laundering proceeds of crime. In terms of the crime of laundering and financing of terrorism, STR lifts the official complaint obligation to these crimes. However, if another predicate offence is committed before the crime of laundering, the obligation to official complaint continues. In this case, laundering crime and the predicate crime should be reported separately. Since the assessment and analysis activities will be carried out by MASAK in terms of suspicious actions. Thus, even if the crime of laundering or financing of terrorism is officially complained, STR must also be filed. If there is a document or serious sign that supports the doubt about the illegal nature of the transaction, the transaction may be postponed for seven days by MASAK.

 Financial intelligence units are established in almost every country in order to comply to the FATF Recommendations and other international regulations. These institutions are responsible for receiving and processing suspicious transaction reports. The Financial Crimes Investigation Board MASAK, which is Türkiyes financial intelligence service, carries out analysis and investigation activities as a result of suspicious transaction reports. Although the MASAK is fully compatible with FATF recommendations, it is incompatible with the standards of the European Union, as it is not an independent and autonomous institution. Suspicion that causes the obligation to report transactions STR is the suspicion that arises before the obligator and is the result of subjective evaluation. STR should be made if the action is considered to be illegal even if it has no relationship with any crime. This suspicion does not need to be at the level of knowledge of crime or initial suspicion that the crime has been committed. MASAK is a judicial law enforcement within the scope of the crime of financing terrorism and laundering proceeds of crime. In terms of the crime of laundering and financing of terrorism, STR lifts the official complaint obligation to these crimes. However, if another predicate offence is committed before the crime of laundering, the obligation to official complaint continues. In this case, laundering crime and the predicate crime should be reported separately. Since the assessment and analysis activities will be carried out by MASAK in terms of suspicious actions. Thus, even if the crime of laundering or financing of terrorism is officially complained, STR must also be filed. If there is a document or serious sign that supports the doubt about the illegal nature of the transaction, the transaction may be postponed for seven days by MASAK.

 Financial intelligence units are established in almost every country in order to comply to the FATF Recommendations and other international regulations. These institutions are responsible for receiving and processing suspicious transaction reports. The Financial Crimes Investigation Board MASAK, which is Türkiyes financial intelligence service, carries out analysis and investigation activities as a result of suspicious transaction reports. Although the MASAK is fully compatible with FATF recommendations, it is incompatible with the standards of the European Union, as it is not an independent and autonomous institution. Suspicion that causes the obligation to report transactions STR is the suspicion that arises before the obligator and is the result of subjective evaluation. STR should be made if the action is considered to be illegal even if it has no relationship with any crime. This suspicion does not need to be at the level of knowledge of crime or initial suspicion that the crime has been committed. MASAK is a judicial law enforcement within the scope of the crime of financing terrorism and laundering proceeds of crime. In terms of the crime of laundering and financing of terrorism, STR lifts the official complaint obligation to these crimes. However, if another predicate offence is committed before the crime of laundering, the obligation to official complaint continues. In this case, laundering crime and the predicate crime should be reported separately. Since the assessment and analysis activities will be carried out by MASAK in terms of suspicious actions. Thus, even if the crime of laundering or financing of terrorism is officially complained, STR must also be filed. If there is a document or serious sign that supports the doubt about the illegal nature of the transaction, the transaction may be postponed for seven days by MASAK.

 FATF Tavsiyeleri ve diğer uluslararası düzenlemeler sayesinde hemen her ülkede kurulan mali istihbarat birimleri, şüpheli işlem bildirimlerini almakla ve işlemekle yükümlüdürler. Türkiyenin mali istihbarat biri olan Mali Suçları Araştırma Kurulu MASAK Başkanlığı da şüpheli işlem bildirimleri sonucunda analiz ve inceleme faaliyetlerini yerine getirmektedir. MASAK, FATF Tavsiyelerine tam uyumlu olsa da bağımsız ve özerk bir kurum olmadığından AB standartları ile uyumsuzdur. Şüpheli işlem bildirimi ŞİB yükümlülüğüne sebep olan şüphe, yükümlünün nezdinde doğan ve sübjektif nitelikteki şüphedir ve işlemin hukuka aykırılığına ilişkindir. İşlemin, suçla ilişkisi olmasa dahi, yasa dışı olduğu değerlendiriliyorsa ŞİB yapılmalıdır. Bu şüphenin suçun işlendiğine dair bilgi veya başlangıç şüphesi düzeyinde bulunmaması gerekmemektedir. MASAK, terörizmin finansmanı ve suç gelirlerinin aklanması suçu kapsamında adli kolluktur. Aklama ve terörizmin finansmanı suçu açısından ŞİB yapılması, bu suçları bildirme yükümlülüğünü kaldırır. Ancak aklama suçuna öncül başka bir suçun işlendiği biliniyorsa, suçu bildirme yükümlülüğü devam eder. Bu durumda aklama suçu açısından erteleme ŞİB yapılmalı ve öncül suç ayrıca ihbar edilmelidir. Şüpheli işlem açısından MASAK tarafından değerlendirme ve analiz faaliyetleri gerçekleştirileceğinden, aklama veya terörizmin finansmanı suçu ihbar edilse dahi ayrıca ŞİB yapılmalıdır. İşlemin yasa dışı niteliğine ilişkin şüpheyi destekleyen belge veya ciddi emare bulunması durumunda işlem yedi gün süre ile ertelenebilecektir.

Article Details

Suspicious Transactions Report and Financial Intelligence Units in Comparative Law

Authors:

Orçun Kiremitci

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk

Journal:

Yıldırım Beyazıt Hukuk Dergisi Issue 1, pp.107-163

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283302

pISSN:

2149-5831

Suspicious Transaction Reporting

Financial Intelligence Unit

Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK)

Transaction Postponement

Identification

Know Your Customer Due Diligence

The Crime of not Reporting the Crime

Şüpheli İşlem Bildirimi

Mali İstihbarat Birimi

Mali Suçları Araştırma Kurulu (MASAK)

İşlem Erteleme

Kimlik Tespiti

Müşterini Tanı

Suçu Bildirmeme Suçu

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Orçun Kiremitci

Publisher: Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics: Hukuk

Journal: Yıldırım Beyazıt Hukuk Dergisi Issue 1, pp.107-163

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 1/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001283302

pISSN: 2149-5831

Issues

Authors:

Orçun Kiremitci

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk

Journal:

Yıldırım Beyazıt Hukuk Dergisi Issue 1, pp.107-163

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

1/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283302

pISSN:

2149-5831