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 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 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.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 27-31 in case you missed them.
Democratic and Republican senators called on the State Department to do more to pressure the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela, saying the U.S.’s approach, which they called ineffective, should include more multilateral support and stronger sanctions against Maduro’s allies. Several senators said they would back legislation to grant the administration more sanctions powers.
The U.S. on July 31 sanctioned a Chinese state-controlled organization and two Chinese officials for human rights violations in Xinjiang. The sanctions target the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, former XPCC Party Secretary Sun Jinlong and XPCC Deputy Party Secretary Peng Jiarui.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control revised an entry under its Cuba sanctions regime, a July 30 notice said. The revision changes the entry for Havana International Bank to Havin Bank Limited to reflect a name change.
The Treasury and State departments on July 29 sanctioned four people and 10 entities for contributing to the conflict in Syria and for supporting the Syria regime through the construction of luxury real estate. The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned a Syrian businessman and nine entities, while State designated four people and one entity.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned two “financial facilitators” for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria for helping to fund terrorism, OFAC said July 28. The designations target Faruq Hamud in Syria and ‘Adnan Amin Muhammad al-Rawi in Turkey.