Singapore legislation

Regulation 6E

of Moneylenders (Prevention of Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing and Proliferation Financing) Rules 2009

Regulation 6E

Enhanced CDD measures for politically-exposed persons

Amended byS 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 522/2015 wef 01/09/2015

Subregulation 1

A moneylender must, in addition to the obligations under these Rules, perform the measures referred to in paragraph (2) on a borrower, if the moneylender knows or has reasonable grounds to believe that —

(a)

the borrower or the borrower’s agent (if any) is a politically-exposed person; or

(b)

where the borrower is an entity or a legal arrangement, the borrower has a connected party or beneficial owner who is a politically-exposed person.

Subregulation 2

Amended byS 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024S 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024

The measures referred to in paragraph (1) are —

(a)

documenting, during the course of the business relation or when undertaking a transaction with or for the borrower, each movement of funds in the account used for disbursing or repaying a loan, and assessing the likelihood of the account being used in connection with any of the following activities:

(i)

money laundering;

(ii)

terrorism financing;

(iii)

proliferation financing; and

(b)

establishing by appropriate and reasonable means the source of wealth and source of funds of the borrower or beneficial owner.

Subregulation 3

A moneylender who —

(a)

has identified any borrower or any agent, connected party or beneficial owner of a borrower to be a politically-exposed person; or

(b)

subsequently comes to know that any borrower or any agent, connected party or beneficial owner of a borrower is or was a politically-exposed person,must obtain a decision from the moneylender’s senior management on whether to establish or maintain the business relation with the borrower.

Subregulation 4

The moneylender must keep a written record of the moneylender’s findings and the basis of a decision under paragraph (3), and must produce these to a relevant law enforcement authority upon demand.

Subregulation 5

A moneylender may adopt a risk-based approach in the application of measures under this rule in relation to —

(a)

a domestic politically-exposed person; (b)a politically-exposed person of an international organisation; or

(c)

a politically-exposed person who has stepped down from a prominent public function, taking into consideration the level of influence the person continues to exercise after stepping down from that function.

Subregulation 6

Amended byS 373/2024 wef 01/05/2024

Paragraph (5) does not apply if the moneylender knows or ought reasonably to know that the business relation or transaction in question presents a high risk of money laundering, terrorism financing or proliferation financing.

Subregulation 7

A moneylender who contravenes paragraph (1), (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence.

Subregulation 8

In this rule, each reference to a politically-exposed person includes a reference to a family member or close associate of the person.

Subregulation 9

In this rule, “family member”, in relation to a politically-exposed person, means a parent, a step-parent, a child, a stepchild, an adopted child, a spouse, a sibling, a stepsibling or an adopted sibling of the person.

Subregulation 10

Amended byS 522/2015 wef 01/09/2015

In this rule, a person, (A), is a close associate of a politically-exposed person, (B), if —

(a)

A is a partner of B;

(b)

A is an employee or employer of B;

(c)

A is an officer of any corporation of which B is an officer;

(d)

A is an employee of an individual of whom B is an employee;

(e)

A is accustomed or under an obligation, whether formal or informal, to act in accordance with the directions, instructions or wishes of B;

(f)

B is accustomed or under an obligation, whether formal or informal, to act in accordance with the directions, instructions or wishes of A; (g)A is a person with whom B has an agreement or arrangement, whether oral or in writing and whether express or implied, to act together to apply for or obtain a loan from a moneylender; or

(h)

A is closely connected with B socially or professionally in any manner not specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (g).