Managing director of Republic Bank Ltd (RBL) David Dulal-Whiteway yesterday confirmed that the bank is assisting international investigators in the Fifa corruption matter.
“We have been supportive of whatever the regulators have been looking for. We will continue to provide that support,” Dulal-Whiteway said at a press conference yesterday.
RBL and two other local banks — First Citizens and Intercommercial Bank — are among six Caribbean banks listed as having completed wire transfers of large sums of money for senior current and former Fifa officials, among them Trinidadian jack Warner, a former Fifa vice-president, and others who are charged with multiple counts of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud involving US$150 million.
None of the banks were charged with any crime or regulatory violation in the indictment announced by the US Department of Justice last week.
Yesterday, Dulal-Whiteway said if any documentation was needed by the investigators, the documents would be passed to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
“The main thing is to make sure that the bank did what it was supposed to do, which so far, we feel we have confidently done. Once we have met all those requirements, then we are sure we did what had to be done from a customer/banker relationship. I feel quite comfortable,” he said.
Dulal-Whiteway said RBL has also not been approached by the T&T Securities Exchange Commission in connection with the matter.
Last week, the Bankers’ Association of T&T (BATT) also said it was committed to work with local and foreign regulators and law enforcement agencies as the investigation progresses.
BATT said it had taken note of the fact that local commercial banks have been named in the indictment against Chaguanas West MP Warner.
It added: “Banks, as responsible corporate bodies, are committed to co-operate fully with regulatory and law enforcement agencies when engaged on matters of a regulatory, legal and/or criminal nature.”