#White collar crime:
Telecoms: Washington launches investigation into South African operator MTN
South African telecommunications company MTN is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) for its operations in Iran and Afghanistan. MTN is also facing legal action in South Africa from Turkcell, a Turkish telecom firm, which accuses MTN of securing a contract in Iran through corrupt practices in 2006. In the United States, MTN is additionally subject to civil lawsuits from American veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, who seek to hold the company liable under anti-terrorism legislation. > Read article
In Paris, a policeman indicted and placed judicial control for selling information
On 1st August, a policeman was indicted in Paris for selling confidential information from police files on social media. The policeman is accused of passive corruption, violation of professional secrecy, misuse of a personal data file, fraudulent possession and transmission of content from a data processing system, and criminal conspiracy. The disclosed information included among other things, criminal records entries, files of wanted persons, files of reported objects and vehicles, and was shared on the social network Snapchat in exchange for payment. The police officer admitted to the charges and has been placed under judicial control. > Read article
#Ethics and Compliance:
N26 shareholders force the departure of one of the co-founders
German neobank N26 announces the departure of co-founder and co-CEO Valentin Stalf who will join the supervisory board. Maximilian Tayenthal, co-CEO and chief of operating officer, will temporarily remain in his role. This leadership change, driven by shareholders, comes after a critical report from BaFin regarding internal controls. N26 has already been sanctioned for anti-money laundering failures and deficiencies in risk management, receiving multiple fines in 2021 and 2024 as well as growth restrictions. > Read article
