Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07COLOMBO515
2007-03-30 11:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
UNSCR 1747: SRI LANKA FIU WILL ACT ON ANY LOCAL
how-toVZCZCXYZ0007 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLM #0515 0891117 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 301117Z MAR 07 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5790 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0814 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0012 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 6989 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5068 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 3644 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0567
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000515
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, EEB/ESC/TFS, ISN/CPI A RUGGIERO, AND
NEA/IR S MISKO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM IR CE
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1747: SRI LANKA FIU WILL ACT ON ANY LOCAL
BANK SEPAH LINKS
REF: SECSTATE 40440
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000515
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, EEB/ESC/TFS, ISN/CPI A RUGGIERO, AND
NEA/IR S MISKO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM IR CE
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1747: SRI LANKA FIU WILL ACT ON ANY LOCAL
BANK SEPAH LINKS
REF: SECSTATE 40440
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to the new
director of Sri Lanka's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU),G.
Karunaratne, and his deputy, Ravindra Jayaratne, on March 30.
Econoff noted that, according to the Bankers' Almanac, Bank
Sepah is believed to maintain either a branch, subsidiary, or
correspondent relationship with the Bank of Ceylon in
Colombo. Econoff emphasized that UNSCR 1747 required Sri
Lanka to freeze any accounts related to Bank Sepah and that,
for the freeze to have its desired effect, Sri Lanka must act
quickly.
2. (SBU) Karunaratne replied that he understood the binding
nature of UNSCR 1747 and would give the issue "highest
priority." He assured Econoff that the FIU would quickly
ascertain which Sri Lankan banks, if any, conducted
commercial, foreign exchange, or capital market transactions
with Bank Sepah. The FIU would do this by communicating with
individual banks and the Sri Lanka Bankers' Association.
Karunaratne was confident that the FIU would be able to get
an order requiring any bank doing business with Bank Sepah to
terminate its banking relationship. He believed it would
take somewhat longer to find any Bank Sepah assets that might
lie within the Sri Lankan banking system, but he would begin
the process immediately. He regretted that the next normal
business day, Monday April 2, was a Sri Lankan government and
commercial holiday, which would somewhat slow the FIU's
efforts, but he promised to provide an update later that week.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/INS, EEB/ESC/TFS, ISN/CPI A RUGGIERO, AND
NEA/IR S MISKO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EFIN KNNP PARM IR CE
SUBJECT: UNSCR 1747: SRI LANKA FIU WILL ACT ON ANY LOCAL
BANK SEPAH LINKS
REF: SECSTATE 40440
1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche to the new
director of Sri Lanka's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU),G.
Karunaratne, and his deputy, Ravindra Jayaratne, on March 30.
Econoff noted that, according to the Bankers' Almanac, Bank
Sepah is believed to maintain either a branch, subsidiary, or
correspondent relationship with the Bank of Ceylon in
Colombo. Econoff emphasized that UNSCR 1747 required Sri
Lanka to freeze any accounts related to Bank Sepah and that,
for the freeze to have its desired effect, Sri Lanka must act
quickly.
2. (SBU) Karunaratne replied that he understood the binding
nature of UNSCR 1747 and would give the issue "highest
priority." He assured Econoff that the FIU would quickly
ascertain which Sri Lankan banks, if any, conducted
commercial, foreign exchange, or capital market transactions
with Bank Sepah. The FIU would do this by communicating with
individual banks and the Sri Lanka Bankers' Association.
Karunaratne was confident that the FIU would be able to get
an order requiring any bank doing business with Bank Sepah to
terminate its banking relationship. He believed it would
take somewhat longer to find any Bank Sepah assets that might
lie within the Sri Lankan banking system, but he would begin
the process immediately. He regretted that the next normal
business day, Monday April 2, was a Sri Lankan government and
commercial holiday, which would somewhat slow the FIU's
efforts, but he promised to provide an update later that week.
BLAKE