Businesses asked to check accounts for sanctioned individual

Tuesday 04 January 2022

After the US government imposed sanctions on a Nigerian militia leader late last year, the Guernsey Financial Services Commission is asking that all businesses check their records for any link to Ali Darassa.

Darassa leads a Central African Republic militia group and has now been designated under the Central African Republic (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (the UK Regulations).

These regulations are enforceable in the Bailiwick under the Sanctions (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2018.

Darassa is now subject to an asset freeze and the GFSC said the following on their website:

“All businesses must check whether they maintain any accounts or otherwise have any kind of relationship with the individual referred to above or to any other natural or legal person, entity or body designated under the legislation referred to above and must treat any funds, other assets or economic resources

• directly or indirectly belonging to, owned, held or controlled by them, whether wholly or jointly, or 
• that comprise interest, dividends or other forms of property derived from any funds or economic resources that belong to them or are owned, held or controlled by them, whether directly or indirectly and wholly or jointly, or 
• belonging to individuals or entities acting on their behalf or at their direction, whether wholly or jointly 

as frozen with immediate effect if this is not already the case. Businesses must report any findings to the Policy & Resources Committee immediately. They must also ensure that they have taken all other steps that may be required in order to comply with the reporting obligations at section 14 of the Sanctions Law.”

Any concerns can be put to sanctions@gov.gg and additional information on asset freezes can be found at gov.gg/sanctions.