Foreign Assembly Office (OFAC) of the US Treasury Investigation began an investigation against Raiffeisen Bank International in connection with his business in Russia, reports Reuters.
In January, the department demanded that Raiffeisen Bank provide information about operations “in connection with the latest events around Russia and Ukraine,” the bank was told. OFAC is engaged in the preparation of sanctions.
The agency’s source added that OFAC requested details about its risks in Russia, in the Donbass and other regions of Ukraine, as well as in Syria, including transactions and activities of certain customers, the Reuters source said.
According to him, the department expects an answer in February, but the bank asked to provide more time. The representative of Raiffeisen Bank told Reuters that the bank is working with OFAC. According to him, the request was not initiated by a specific transaction. The bank added that they observe existing sanctions.
This request caused fears among European financial regulators: this can lead to sanctions against Raiffeisen, two informed sources told the agency.
Raiffeisenbank in Russia is one of the largest credit organizations. It is included in the list of 13 systematic banks, which includes two foreign banks – Russian “daughters” Raiffeisen and Unicredit. Both banks plan to leave the Russian market, but Russian President Vladimir Putin forbade credit organizations from “unfriendly countries” to sell business in Russia without approval.