Ethics, Rules of Conduct and Professionalism - Part 3 Flashcards
What is the key legislation with regards to Gifts, Bribery and Corruption?
Bribery Act (2010)
Proceeds of Crime Act (2002)
What sort of activities would need to be registered on a Firms Anti-Bribery Procedures
Hospitality
Promotional
Low value business expenditure
What do hospitality events seek to do?
Most cases they seek to genuinely promote and improve the image of the firm
Aims of the Bribery Act 2010
Reduce bribery in business in UK and abroad
What is a bribe?
Giving / Offering / Promising / Receiving of an advantage such as a payment, gift or a service for an action which is illegal or a breach of trust
What are the six principles of the Bribery Act 2010
- Proportionality
- Top level commitment
- Risk Assessment
- Due diligence
- Communication
- Monitoring and review
The four offences under the Bribery Act 2010 are?
- Bribing
- Receiving a bribe
- Bribing a foreign public official
- Failing to prevent bribery
Are companies responsible for their employees corrupt acts?
Yes - unless they can show that they had adequate policies and procedures in places to combat bribery
Is hospitality prohibited under the Bribery Act 2010
Government guidance states that hospitality is not prohibited under the act
As long as it is reasonable and proportionate and recorded in a gift/hospitality register
What steps can companies take to prevent bribery?
The identification of potential risks
Staff training
Provisions of clear policies
Regular reviews
Who is the Bribery Act policed by?
Serious Fraud Office
What is the maximum penalty for breaching the Bribery Act 2010
10 years imprisonment and or an unlimited fine for individuals
Companies face an unlimited fine
What is the government regulations on Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing etc
Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations, 2017 (as amended in 2019)
What do the regulations cover
Estate Agency work and relevant financial business work inside and outside the UK by a firm
What is money laundering?
Where proceeds of criminal activities are disguised or converted and then realised as legitimate assets
What are the key provisions of the ML, TF & TF regulations?
- Requirement to have written money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessment
- Implement systems, policies, controls and procedures to address ML, TFR and meet the req under the regulations
- Adopt appropriate internal controls
- Provide staff training
- Comply with new customer, enhanced and simplified due diligence requirements
- Comply with requirements relating to politically exposed persons (PEPs)
- Ensure appropriate record keeping, policies and procedures
- AML Checks
- Additional High Risk Factors
Why must AML checks be undertaken?
To confirm the identity of the proposed purchaser of a property
To check the purchasers source of funds by the vendors agents before contracts are exchanged
Action needed for additional high risk factors?
Enhanced DD
Seek additional information and monitor certain cases
Eg. where there are transactions between parties based in high risk third countries
When were the amended regulations effected from?
10 January 2020
Why were the regulations amended?
To require letting agents to register with HMRC within 12 months of May 2020 if they let individual properties for more than the equivalent of 10,000 Euros a month