#Arbitration and Mediation
Togo pledges peace amid Ghana maritime dispute arbitration
The Togolese government has officially responded to Ghana’s decision to initiate international arbitration proceedings concerning the delimitation of their shared maritime border. In accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The bilateral discussions initiated nearly eight years ago have not led to a formally recognized delimitation. Despite the stated intention of both States to refrain from any activity likely to compromise their relations, this absence of a stabilized legal framework has resulted in several maritime incidents. In this context, both States reaffirm their commitment to the principle of good neighbourliness and their shared willingness to avoid any escalation of tensions, while ensuring a secure legal environment for maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea. >Read the article.
#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations
Two Caisse d’Épargne institutions fined more than €9 million for misleading commercial practices
Two Caisse d’Épargne institutions have been ordered to pay more than €9 million in fines for misleading commercial practices. The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) accuses them of failing to comply with the regulations governing bank fees. Caisse d’Épargne Île-de-France, fined €6 million, notably charged intervention fees in the absence of any account irregularity and exceeded the regulatory caps applicable to such fees. For its part, Caisse d’Épargne Grand Est Europe was fined €3.2 million for similar breaches. In November, another BPCE Group entity, Banque Populaire Rives de Paris, was also sanctioned for misleading commercial practices. > Read the article.
#White collar crime
Dark Bank: American suspect alleged to be the head of an international criminal organisation extradited to France
Huzefa Hafiz Ismail, an American citizen, was surrendered to the French authorities following his arrest in Texas in 2024, carried out at the request of the French judicial authorities, who suspect him of orchestrating a large-scale money laundering network involving more than one billion euros. The investigation, opened in 2021, concerns the laundering of proceeds from drug trafficking carried out by an organized criminal group, as well as charges of criminal conspiracy, committed notably on French territory. According to the investigation, Huzefa Hafiz Ismail oversaw several networks collecting funds derived from drug trafficking in France and across Europe, in exchange for payment in cryptocurrencies. He is also alleged to have facilitated the conversion of crypto assets originating from ransomware operations or cyberattacks for the benefit of cybercriminals.> Read the article.
#Litigation and International investigation
Criminal justice reform: the SURE bill ultimately split into two
At the beginning of February, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin revisited his SURE bill (Sanction Utile, Rapide et Effective) by agreeing to split it into two parts due to constraints in the parliamentary schedule. The first component, submitted to the Law Commission of the National Assembly and dedicated to criminal justice, aims to reduce trial times, notably through the introduction of measures such as plea bargaining in criminal matters, as well as through the reorganization of departmental criminal courts. The second component, focusing on the enforcement of sentences and notably including a provision setting a maximum inmate population threshold for remand prisons, is expected in the summer. >Read the article.
