
15 money laundering involving BVI business companies (BVIBCs) highlighted in the latest NRA
22/04/2025
ON Thursday, 17 April 2025, it was reported that
- The British Virgin Islands (BVI) published a national risk assessment (NRA) that reaffirmed the jurisdiction's commitment to global standards on transparency, beneficial ownership, and financial crime prevention.
15 recent cases relating to money laundering involving BVI business companies (BVIBCs).
- IN THE report, 15 public domain cases involving money laundering in BVI business companies (BVIBCs) were highlighted
- In most cases examined,
- The general and limited partners in these LPS were also a partnership or company, making it difficult to ascertain the valid beneficial owner.
- Involved allegations of
- Corruption against a non-BVI politically exposed person (PEP)
- Predicates of fraud and tax evasion.
- In all cases but one, the BVIBC was part of an international structure.
- In three cases, the BVIBC owned real estate in London, which was allegedly purchased with the proceeds of crime.
- In two cases, a PEP relative or employee beneficially owned the BVIBC alleged to have been misused.
- In four cases, the BVIBC was part of a trust structure. The beneficial owners of the companies were from a wide range of countries, and some of the cases involved more than one BVIBC.
- Two money laundering cases via limited partnerships (LPs) were also uncovered, involving BVI limited partnerships misused in international corruption schemes.
- Two cases were also found relating to the misuse of BVI trust structures by PEPs for money laundering purposes. The predicate offences in those cases were fraud, corruption and embezzlement.
THE REPORT SCORES ARE:-
Sources
- BVI government https://www.bvi.gov.vg/media-centre/virgin-islands-publishes-risk-assessment-legal-persons-and-legal-arrangements
- BVI government (risk assessment, PDF) https://bvi.gov.vg/sites/default/files/vi_lpla_risk_assessment_2025_0.pdf
- STEP International News 29 February 2024: FATF sets out 'priority actions' to improve BVI’s AML measures https://www.step.org/industry-news/bvi-publishes-nra-legal-persons-and-legal-arrangements
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