Welcome to This Week In Compliance: GAN’s weekly news roundup, where we curate the latest stories on compliance and anti-corruption to keep you informed. This week, the EU is considering stricter penalties on the UAE due to its inaction on Russian sanctions. Read the full story and more news below:
Top Story
EU Considers UAE Blacklist After Dubai Leaks
Following an investigation dubbed ‘Dubai Uncovered’ by a team of investigative journalists, the EU is considering blacklisting the UAE due to its ties to property investments by Russian oligarchs and other corrupt officials. UAE is accused of remaining complicit in the laundering of ill-gotten fortunes by corrupt Russian officials, who used their fortunes to make large investments into investment properties and housing in the UAE. The EU is calling for stricter anti-money laundering measures to be taken by the UAE, or else it could face similar sanctions to countries like North Korea.
Government
US Government Warns of Implicit Disability Bias in AI Hiring Tools
In a joint press conference held by the U.S. Department of Justice and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission this week, officials warned that companies that rely too heavily on AI-assisted hiring practices could be unintentionally discriminating against people with disabilities. AI tools can assist employers in narrowing down the pool of qualified applicants for a particular job, but could be biased against certain applicants. The federal government reiterated that even though the AI tool may be the cause of the bias, the company using it would still be held liable under civil rights laws.
Ukraine Aid Funds Increase Financial Crimes Crackdown
As part of a nearly USD 40B aid package conceived to assist Ukraine in fending off the ongoing Russian invasion, nearly USD 100M will be used to prevent and investigate financial crimes and sanctions enforcement. The bill, which was signed Thursday by U.S. President Biden, was passed with bipartisan support. Part of the aid package will also fund anti-money laundering efforts.
Business
Chemist Sentenced for Theft of Coca-Cola Secrets
A US-based chemist was sentenced this week to 14 years in prison for her involvement in the theft of trade secrets that cost nearly USD 120M to develop, from her employer Coca-Cola. Xiaorong You was found guilty in April last year for the “theft of trade secrets from Coca-Cola’s research and development (R&D) division, economic espionage, and wire fraud”. According to the Department of Justice, the secrets were stolen on behalf of the Chinese government and related to the development of a BPA-free can liner.