Enforcement

FWD Life also failed to maintain satisfactory internal controls and written compliance procedures as required under the SFC Code on MPF Products and the Fund Manager Code of Conduct.

The CSRC imposed fines of over $1.55bn in 2018, with the largest number of cases relating to insider trading, illegal disclosures and market manipulation.

An HKMA investigation found that JPMorgan Hong Kong failed to establish and maintain effective controls for handling wire transfers, conducting CDD and monitoring business relationships.

The asset management firm was both the buyer and seller in a transaction between two of its brokers, which the SFC deemed was a wash trade.

South Korea's Upbit is alleged to have used bots to manipulate trading volumes and prices to attract investors to the exchange. Two officers and an employee have been indicted.

Korean media reports indicate the CFTC may take action against KRX as early as this month in response to its failures to comply with regulations for CCPs.

The March 2017 prohibition order barring former banker Tim Leissner for 10 years was based on limited information; US DOJ charges provided evidence of his involvement in 1MDB fund flows.

New specialist investigators are expected to bring more competition cases to court each year and boost prosecutions of criminal cartels, especially in the financial sector.

Malaysian prosecutors have filed criminal charges against three Goldman subsidiaries and two former employees, seeking fines in the billions of dollars and jail terms of up to 10 years.

Hong Kong is not obliged to enforce unilateral sanctions imposed by individual jurisdictions including the US, a senior official said in regards to Huawei's alleged dealings with Iran.