The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended six entries under its Central African Republic sanctions regime, an Aug. 10 notice said. The designations include current and former CAR government officials and militia leaders. The six people remain subject to asset freezes, it said.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is amending the base civil penalty amount for certain sanctions violations to reflect inflation adjustments for its civil monetary penalties, a notice released Aug. 10 said. The change, which takes effect Aug. 11, revises the definition for OFAC’s “applicable schedule amount,” which establishes a base penalty for non-egregious sanctions violations cases that do not involve a voluntary self-disclosure.
Australia is considering renewing certain sanctions entries under Iran, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, including designations for terrorism-related reasons, it said Aug. 10. Before the sanctions are renewed, Australia said it will accept requests by the listed people to revoke the sanctions or to make a “statement of case.” Australia will accept submissions until 5 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time on Sept. 4.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on Aug. 7 sanctioned Bi Sidi Souleymane, leader of the Central African Republic militia group Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation (3R). OFAC said Souleymane was involved in killings, torture and the displacement of thousands of people. The move came days after the United Nations Security Council sanctioned Souleymane (also spelled Souleman and Soulemane) (see 2008060019).
A U.S. technology company is being investigated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control for possible Iran sanctions violations, the company said in an Aug. 4 Securities and Exchange Commission filing. California-based Harmonic Inc. said OFAC is looking into transactions made with Iran by France-based Thomson Video Networks, which Harmonic acquired in 2016. The company said it may be subject to civil, criminal and monetary penalties, the loss of export privileges or “in extreme cases, imprisonment of responsible employees.”
The United Nations Security Council sanctioned the leader of a Central African Republic militia group, the UNSC said in an Aug. 5 notice. The designation targets Bi Sidi Souleman (also spelled Soulemane), who leads the group Retour, Reclamation, Rehabilitation, which is involved in warfare and illegal arms trafficking. The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Souleman Aug. 6.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned three people, one entity and one vessel for using Libya to smuggle fuel and illegal drugs, OFAC said Aug. 6. The designations target Libyan national Faysal al-Wadi, his vessel Maraya, his two associates Musbah Mohamad Wadi and Nourddin Milood Musbah, and the Malta-based company Alwefaq Ltd.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation amended an entry under its terrorism sanctions, according to an Aug. 5 notice. The change adds and deletes identifying information for Qasem Soleimani, the deceased former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Zimbabwean businessman Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei and his company, Sakunda Holdings, for supporting Zimbabwe’s government, OFAC said Aug. 5. OFAC said Tagwirei used his relationship with government officials to secure state contracts and “receive favored access to hard currency,” earning millions of U.S. dollars.
The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation published an Aug. 3 blog post about its new Transport Sanctions team, which will focus on maritime and air sanctions enforcement. The team will concentrate on enforcing restrictions on the “movement, registration, ownership and use” of ships and aircraft, including transporters who falsify documents or obscure ship ownership. The U.K. recently issued a sanctions guidance for the maritime industry, detailing sanctions evasion practices by North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria (see 2007290019).