Russia sanctions
- UK Government adds one individual to the UK sanctions list under the Russia regime: On December 9, 2024, OFSI added Anto Joseph to the UK sanctions list under the Russia regime. Joseph is the CEO and manager of several gold trading companies, including Paloma Precious, which was designated by the UK Government in November 2023. According to the UK Government, Paloma Precious has purchased more than USD 300 million of Russian gold, thereby indirectly providing revenue for the Government of Russia which could be used to fund its war in Ukraine. ( New Anti-Corruption Champion and NCA funding as campaign against corruption steps up - GOV.UK; Notice_Russia_091224.pdf).
Democratic Republic of the Congo sanctions
- UK Government adds one individual to the UK sanctions list under the DRC regime: On December 9, 2024, OFSI added Alain Francois Viviana Goetz to the UK sanctions list under the DRC regime. According to the UK Government, Goetz, a Belgian gold trader at the head of various gold refineries and companies across Africa, has smuggled illicit gold extracted from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo controlled by armed groups which have been involved in serious human rights violations. ( New Anti-Corruption Champion and NCA funding as campaign against corruption steps up - GOV.UK; Notice_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo_091224.pdf).
Global Anti-Corruption sanctions
- UK Government adds three individuals to the UK sanctions list under the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime: On December 9, 2024, OFSI added Kamlesh Mansukhlal Damji Pattni, Minal Kamlesh Mansukhail Damji Pattni and Mukesh Mansuklal Vaya to the UK sanctions list under the Global Anti-Corruption regime. According to the UK Government, Kalmesh Pattni, an infamous British-Kenyan businessman, and has associates have used bribery to export gold from southern Africa as a means of laundering dirty money and was implicated in the Goldenberg corruption scandal in the 1990s. ( New Anti-Corruption Champion and NCA funding as campaign against corruption steps up - GOV.UK; Notice_Global_Anti_Corruption_09122024.pdf).
Other sanctions
- UK publishes export licensing statistics for 1 April to
30 June 2024: On December 12, 2024, the Export Control
Unit published its export control licensing statistics for Q2 of
2024 (1 April to 30 June 2024). During this period, 2,713 standard
individual export licences (SIELs) were issued out of 2,823
applications (96.1%), 110 were refused (3.9%) and none were
revoked. 64% of SIEL applications were processed to first outcome
within 20 working days, and 89% were processed to first outcome
within 60 working days. Year-to-date, ECJU has issued 11,343 SIELs
out of 12,032 applications (94.3%), 687 SIEL applications have been
refused (5.7%) and two SIELs have been revoked. (
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-1-april-to-30-june-2024/strategic-
export-controls-commentary-1-april-to-30-june-2024#:~:text=In%202024%20Q2%20(between%201,previous%20quarter%20(2024%20Q1%20)). - UK to support Cyprus in establishing a new National
Sanctions Implementation Unit: On December 10, 2024, the
UK announced that it would support Cyprus in establishing a new
National Sanctions Implementation Unit to crack down on illicit
Russian finance flowing through Europe. According to the UK
Government, the unit will share expertise and intelligence between
the UK's OFSI and OTSI, and the Cypriot Ministry of Finance to
investigate sanctions evasion and track funds being moved across
Europe to ensure the effectiveness of sanctions on Putin's war
machine. The partnership further strengthens the intelligence and
security relationship between the two countries and will also see
the UK NCA deliver financial crime training packages to law
enforcement teams in Cyprus next year. (
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-cyprus-to-tackle-serious-organised-crime-and-russian-illicit-finance-in-closer-cooperation#:~:text=Press%20release-,UK%20and%
20Cyprus%20to%20tackle%20serious%20organised%20crime
%20and%20Russian,Russian%20finance%20flowing%20through%20Europe.&text=New%20unit%20to%20stop%
20dirty%20Russian%20money%20being%20funnelled%20through%20Europe).
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