US Executive Order and USA PATRIOT Act

Our Ref:

B10/1C

17 September 2004

The Chief Executive
All Authorized Institutions

Dear Sir / Madam,

US Executive Order and USA PATRIOT Act

I am writing to inform you of the following:

List of names for suspicious account reporting - US Executive Order

Further to my letter of 6 August, the US Government on 9 September added the following persons to the list issued under the US Executive Order 13224:

1. Soliman Al-Buthe
2. Al-Haramain: United States Branch
3. Al-Haramain Foundation: Comoros Islands Branch

The relevant information can be found on the website of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury (http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/terrorism.html). Please review your records and report any transactions or relationships you have or have had with the named individual and entities to the Joint Financial Intelligence Unit (JFIU) and the HKMA.

Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act

The US Department of the Treasury, pursuant to Section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, has recently designated two foreign banks - First Merchant Bank of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" and Infobank of Belarus - as financial institutions of "primary money laundering concern". Apart from these two banks, there are another four banks previously designated as such: Myanmar Mayflower Bank, Asia Wealth Bank, Commercial Bank of Syria and its subsidiary Syrian Lebanese Commercial Bank. The relevant press release (dated 24 August) can be found on the Treasury's website (http://www.ustreas.gov/press/law-enforcement.html). You are advised to consult your legal advisers and, where necessary, take appropriate actions (e.g. making reports to the JFIU) if you have any relationship with these designated banks.

You are also reminded to browse the above websites regularly for the latest information.

Yours faithfully,

William A. Ryback
Deputy Chief Executive