No records, no role: HSBC, StanChart reject Iran-linked money laundering claim
HSBC chairman Brendan Nelson says bank is not a party to alleged Iran-linked case and holds no records, as US court seeks information
HSBC Holdings has rejected allegations linking it to a money laundering case involving Iran, with chairman Brendan Nelson saying the bank was not a party to the matter and had only been asked to provide information.
Responding to a shareholder at an informal meeting in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Nelson said HSBC had no records related to the transactions in question.
“This is a case where HSBC is not a party, but in fact has only been asked to provide information relating to transactions that allegedly went through our bank,” he said.
“We have been clear with the parties and the court that we do not have any records relating to those transactions. Beyond that, we don’t have anything further to say.”
The comments came after the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday that HSBC and Standard Chartered were entangled in an alleged money laundering operation involving several million pounds linked to Iran.
The report said a US court earlier this month ordered HSBC, Standard Chartered, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank and BNY Mellon to provide information.