Politically Exposed People normally hold prominent positions of influence and are susceptible to involvement in bribery, corruption, money laundering and terrorist activity. They generally present a higher risk profile because of the position they hold. In addition, any close business associate or family member of such people will also be deemed as being a risk, and therefore should also be added to the PEP list. What has become obvious is the threat to business. Here, a defensive risk strategy and policy should be designed to deal with business dealings with Politically Exposed Persons (PEP’s) which may be either a business or an individual. The mitigating measure most commonly used to measure this threat has become our specifically designed “Know Your Customer“ (KYC) audit or Due Diligence.
The key is to understand the nature of that risk and what mitigating measures must be in place.
Understand risk & mitigating measures for Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs)
SSC recommends applying Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) Screening and monitoring investigations to all PEP’s as well as their close family members and known associates to minimise your risk
PEP status for an individual or legal entity does not specifically predict the certainty of criminal behaviour. However, it does expose potential additional risk which may cause the curtailment or rejection of current or future business relationships
We also advise on setting up an appropriate risk management system to determine whether a customer or its beneficial owner is a PEP
To find out more about our Politically Exposed Persons (PEP’s) Screening & Monitoring Investigation services, contact Howard on +27 82 449 0317 or howard@sscinfo.co.za.