A senior United Kingdom politician has said that banks in the UK may have been used to launder money stolen from South Africa.
The former cabinet minister, Lord Peter Hain has in a letter alleged that a South African whistle-blower claimed that the banks “maybe inadvertently have been conduits for the corrupt proceeds of money”.
Lord Peter Hain is reported by the BBC to have planned on raising the issue in the House of Lords.
A spokesperson for the UK Treasury said “We take allegations of financial misconduct very seriously, and have passed Lord Hain’s letter on to the Financial Conduct Authority and relevant UK law enforcement agencies, including the National Crime Agency and Serious Fraud Office, to agree the right action,”
A spokeswoman for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates financial activities in the UK said it has already contacted the banks named by Lord Hain.
The said money laundering accusation focused on alleged ties South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and the business family, the Guptas.
Source: Africafeeds.com