According to the National Bank of Angola (BNA), in a statement dated April 13, 2023 and which Lusa had access to this Friday, the competent sanctioning procedures have already been instituted against the aforementioned banking financial institutions.
The BNA mentions that it has been proven that BMA, which has a shareholding in the Portuguese bank Millennium BCP, has not fulfilled the duty to provide information and assistance provided by law, in relation to the relations established with its customers, which is contrary to the provisions of the Law on General Regime of Financial Institutions (LRGIF).
The aforementioned commercial banking institution also failed to comply with the 72-hour deadline, issued by the central bank, for the return of late payment interest unduly charged to the claimant, contrary to the LRGIF.
Non-compliance with the clauses of the leasing contract (exclusive contract between legal entities) entered into with the customer, which culminated in the unilateral restructuring of said contract, also contributed to BMA being sanctioned.
With regard to BCI, this banking unit did not comply with the procedures for identifying the origin and entry of currency into the country, contrary to BNA rules and the Law to Prevent and Combat Money Laundering, Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation of Weapons of Destruction in Bulk (BC/FT Law, PAM).
"Inadequate parameterization" of the computer application in use at the bank, "since there is no interconnection" with the client's risk matrix, as well as management and mitigation of "risk and irregularities" in the identification of clients and "lack of justification" of the origin and destinations of funds in violation of the ML/TF Law, PAM were also registered at BCI.
As for Banco Sol, the BNA says it has found irregularities in the process of "Know Your Customer (KYC) - a mechanism that aims to know the consumer in each specificity - and "Customer Due Diligence (CDD) - a mechanism that guarantees security and transparency in transactions - of customers, inadequate parameterization and lack of interconnection between the ARGUS-AML computer application (automatic alert device) and the AS400 tool.
At the level of Banco Sol, the central bank also registered non-compliance with the rules for monitoring customers and transactions and irregularities in the identification of customers, as well as the lack of justification for the origin and destination of funds from foreign exchange operations carried out, in violation of the BC/FT Law, PAM.
In these terms, and with a view to "dissuading" the conduct referred to above, justifies the BNA, it was decided to apply pecuniary sanctions to the offending banking financial institutions, such as the disclosure of decisions taken and the seat of the respective sanctioning processes, "aimed at the general prevention and of the Angolan financial system".
