WAS SCOTIABANK COMPLICIT WITH MADURO AND CURIEL'S BANK (CURACAO) IN AN APPARENT MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME BY THE GRYNSZTEIN FAMILY?

THE CURACAO PUBLIC PROSECUTION OFFICE; (OM); CONNECTED THE MADURO AND CURIEL BANK; MCB-CURACAO; AND THE GRYNSZTEIN FAMILY IN A MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF USD DOLLARS.  

By: JJosepha News
Twitter.com/JJosephaNews

  According to the Curacao Public Prosecution's Office; OM, the Grynsztein family in Curacao; are believed to be linked to money laundering scheme through the Maduro and Curiel Bank; MCB-Curacao. The MCB corporation is financially and legally associated and affiliated with The Bank of Nova Scotia Headquartered in Ontario, Toronto in Canada. The Bank of Nova Scotia operating under Scotiabank is the (3rd); third largest bank in Canada via deposits and market capitalization.

Mr. Brian J. Porter; the CEO and President of The Bank of Nova Scotia, nor the President's office was available to provide an immediate comment or answers to questions at the time of printing, asked by this daily; such as:

1. Will there be any sanctions levied against Maduro and Curiel Bank; MCB-Curacao or the Dutch Caribbean MCB affiliation?
2. Will the Scotiabank sever banking relations with Maduro and Curiel Bank in the Dutch Caribbean?
3. Scotiabank is reported to be selling or in the process of selling its operations in the Eastern Caribbean Island States. 
1. Now that MCB-Curacao has been charged by the Estates Public Prosecution Office for money laundering, will Scotiabank as well; be selling off any of its operations in Curacao or The Dutch caribbean in the future?
2. Furthermore, will these charges by the OM influence the selling of operations and liquidating actions in Curacao?
3. Would these charges influence, possibly any future actions  for the relationship of the entire caribbean?

On Tuesday, October 6th, 2015; the police arrested six men, including; the then 78-year-old; Nachman Grynsztein and of those arrested:

• Four; (4) occurred in Curacao, 
• One; (1) in Amsterdam; The Netherlands
• One; (1) in Miami; Florida  in United States of America; U.S.A.

These arrests were under the instructions of the Public Prosecution's Office (OM) for laundering 150 million Euros.

FAMILY BUSINESS

The Grynsztein family, which are of Dutch nationality, sold lingerie and ran a money exchange office of Western Union in Curacao.

The Western Union Corporate office in The USA was contacted in 2016 on the legitimacy of The Western Union Punda office and questioned on the validation and registration of all of the Western Union offices in Curacao. The official response from the Western Union corporate office was that the Punda Office of Western Union was official.  

It was suspected that the Western Union office would have been crucial in the money laundering practice.

At that time the Public Prosecution's Office (OM) claimed that the Grynsztein family did not have a legal license for business, but it appeared that the Curacao office was registered on the officially recognized website of Western Union.

The Public Prosecution's Office (OM), declared that the Grynsztein family has never sold lingerie in the Netherlands, but that U.S. dollars flowed through the Netherlands and Germany to Venezuela.

Since, Venezuelans were able to get hold of dollars from the government (only), makes money smuggling a lucrative and tentative illegal business.

In the Netherlands; (Amsterdam), the Grynsztein's family operated via a virtual office at the Cruquiuskade.

THE FOUNDING OF MONTERREY

Apparently, in 2010 Nachman, Itzhak (Isaac) and Omer Grynsztein founded CPG Worldwide S.A. Nachman Grynsztein's and his two (2) sons Isaac and Omer are all of jewish descendancy.

In 1969 Nachman Grynsztein opened a shop in Curacao under the name of Monterrey, which expanded and grew with three stores on the Island of Curacao and three other stores on the island of Aruba.

Twenty (20) years after Monterrey was registered Isaac joined the company as the Finance Director (FD) and then nine (9) years thereafter; Omer joined as the Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The Grynsztein's business has grown and expanded to 14 stores, spread over; Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao; (the ABC Islands) as well as in St. Maarten. The growth included a couple of Swatch stores and lingerie stores.

FAMILY AFFAIR - BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER...

Lazaro Grynsztein, a Grynsztein family member was arrested in Miami; Florida. Lazaro studied Accounts at the University of Texas.

Both Lazaro and his wife; Jackie Grynsztein, were operating; Ko-Ach Distributor, a firm based in Hallandale Beach (Florida) that sells lingerie.

During the investigations, the OM stated that, the Grynsztein's stores were used as a cover in the money laundering business.

Orí Zahavi (aka "Orí Z"), name was mentioned as well in the Grynsztein's Money Laundering case. It was reported that Orí, who was borned in Curacao; is a nephew of Nachman Grynsztein. 

Apparently Orí Zahavi was registered as an Office Manager (MO) with CPG Worldwide. Orí Zahavi was arrested in Amsterdam, Netherlands; he was interrogated for three days, and then released afterwards.

Also Valencia-Venezuelan businessman; Luis Adolfo Gonzales Zwanenburg was arrested. Luis was apparently labelled "the frontman" for a Caribbean telecommunications company, but is the sole registered managing director; since September 2010; of the still operational Curacao registered; Zwanenburg Trading B.V.. Zwanenburg Trading B.V. is a private Limited Liability Company; registered in Curacao for the purpose of general trading and as a commercial agency. The thirty-five (35) year old Luis was alleged to be of familial relations to Curacao's acclaimed multi-millionaire Cees Zwanenburg.

IDEAL WITNESSES FOR THE GRYNSZTEIN CASE.

In 2017, The lawyers of the Grynsztein family; (the suspects in the money laundering case Cymbal) wanted the Ex-President of the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS); Emsley Tromp, who was criminally charged for tax evasion but was twice acquitted based on legality); to be heard as a witness. 

The lawyers also wanted, the former KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler) accountant and ENNIA Director; Ralph Palm, as a witness, as well as, the former Prime Minister of Curacao, Gerrit Schotte; (member of political party and Leader of MFK). Schotte is presently serving his convicted sentencing for corruption.

Ralph Palm was also chairman of The Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten (CBCS) Supervisory Board for many years, he was both a tax consultant for CBCS as well as for Emsley Tromp, and allegedly since the 1990's; Ralph Palm was the chairman of "ET Pensions", the foundation with which Emsley Tromp had apparently been fraudulent with. 

A revision of The Curacao's Chambers of Commerce registry list for "ET Pensions" aka "Emsley Tromp Pensions" returned no results from the data registry. 

KPMG was the auditing accountant of CBCS when Palm was chairman of the CBCS Supervisory Board. Ennia has been under investigation for mismanagement and corruption. 

It was stated that a major supplier of US currency for the Grynsztein "currency washing machine" was allegedly the Curacao lottery boss Robbie dos Santos, who had already been convicted of tax fraud.

Robbie dos Santos is the brother of Curacao Member For The Opposition in Parliament; leader of the political party KdNT; (Korsou di Nos Tur); Amparo Dos Santos and half-brother of Curacao's first Minister of Finance; George Jamaloodin (political party MFK). Jamaloodin is currently serving time in prison for corruption and for apparently "orchestrating" the May 5th 2013 assassination of Curacao Political Leader Helmin Magno Wiels (political party PS; Pueblo Soberano).

THE G-DEAL

Grynsztein family concluded a final deal with the Dutch Public Prosecution Office (OM). They confessed and cooperated with the settlement of the case, in exchange for a reduction in sentences.

Apparently; the OM stated; that is a way for the case to come to a close, so it is not keep going on for years.

Hundreds of millions of dollars from Venezuela were laundered through the Grynsztein family lingerie shop on Curacao.

In 26 pages, Itzhak (Isaac) Grynsztein reported extensively on the period before the "Swiping in Curacao", the situation with regard to: 

• Venezuela and the Venezuelans,
• The Bolívar (Venezuela Currency), cash and where it came from, 
• The role of the banks, accounting, agents and employees. 

It was a statement about what is being dealt with in Cymbal (in the Netherlands) and Troya (Curacao) criminal cases.

In a statement by Itzhak (Isaac) Grynsztein, he stated;

"When we started swiping, we thought it might take five months, certainly not eight years." 

Isaac repeatedly stated that; "We were not the only ones who did this..." and "Everyone in Curacao knew what happened!"

WHAT WAS THE ROLE; THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA; SCOTIABANK, PLAYED IN WITH MONEY LAUNDERING-MCB-GRYNSZTEIN FAMILY?

The Maduro and Curiel’s Bank; (MCB), the largest bank on Curacao, is mentioned as the bank that facilitated the transactions.

The Maduro and Curiel's Group is Affiliated to Scotiabank; which is headquartered in Ontario; Toronto, Canada. Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and the Scotiabank Group and its affiliates serve some 21 million customers in more than 55 countries globally. As of April 2015, records reported that Scotiabank had a Total Assets of 0.84 Trillion dollars USD and in 2013; a Net Income of 6.7 Billion dollars USD. 

In a 2018 report Brian Porter; Scotiabank CEO and President; stated that; "the bank has now either exited or announced its intentions to exit more than 20 countries or businesses...".

IMPLICITY OR PROTECTIONISM?

Federal Documents have not came forward; as of yet; that could implicate Brian Porter and Scotiabank in the money laundering case of The Grynsztein Family and Maduro and Curiel's Bank.

This daily in attempts to communicate with the Scotiabank's CEO and President, via a telephone interview, the director of Communication at Scotiabank Headquartered in Canada; Mrs. Janira Walton; commented that she would be responsible for responding and facilitating a response from Mr. Brian Porter; Scotiabank's CEO and President within the publication's time frame. 

In a noted editorially observation; "Mrs. Janira Walton completed with her charge to furnish a response, however  her next day response; was a refusal to provide answers or response about the questions relating to Scotiabank; the affiliated bank to Maduro and Curiel - the bank that facilitated the alleged money laundering by the Grynsztein Family, Mrs. Walton's action created an environment of disingenuousness and mistrust!"

However; Mrs. Janira Walton's "question-ing interference" on Brian Porter, lead to far greater questions that were unanswered at publication time, when Mrs. Walton stated a refusal to answer:

• I) If the President and CEO of Scotiabank; Brian Porter; knew about the apparent transparent money laundering practices by The Grynsztein family and The Maduro and Curiel's Bank?
• II) When did the President of Scotiabank realized, knew or suspected that the Maduro and Curiel's Bank was laundering money on behalf of The Grynsztein using its affiliation of Scotiabank operations?
• III) What corrections, restitutions and reimbursements have been made for individuals with official reports of apparent in-house stealing from foreign bank accounts; via electronic withdrawals when individuals with foreign bank accounts attempt to make withdrawal using MCB ATMs?

Furthermore; Brian Porter and his "alleged" Communication director; Mrs. Janira Walton; may have questions to answer to The board of directors, standing committees, stakeholders and shareholders, and most importantly to Ken Blanco and FinCen; (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network); The OFAC; (Office of Foreign Assets Control); and The US Treasury Department, in accordance to their own June 2019 Bank of Nova Scotia Corporate Governance Policies:

• 1.) ScotiaBank Corporate Governance Policies Pg. 05 - Directors:
  Directors shall be knowledgeable and informed about the business of the Bank, the regulatory environment in which the Bank and its subsidiaries operate, and their duties and responsibilities as Directors.
• 2.) ScotiaBank Corporate Governance Policies Pg. 10 - Review Executive Performance:
  The Human Resources Committee shall annually assess the performance of the President and Chief Executive Officer and all other Officers. In addition to this assessment, the Audit and Conduct Review Committee shall assess the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and the Chief Auditor and the Risk Committee shall assess the effectiveness of the Chief Risk Officer and Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer and the Committees shall convey their views on these assessments to the Human Resources Committee and management, in accordance with the Committees’ Charters. The Board Committees shall consider regulatory findings as part of their reviews of management.
• 3.) ScotiaBank Corporate Governance Policies Pg. 11 - Establish and Monitor Standards of Business Conduct and Ethical Behaviour:
  The Bank is committed to the highest standards of ethical business behaviour. The Board has adopted the Scotiabank Code of Conduct which applies to all employees of the Bank and its subsidiaries.
• 4.) ScotiaBank Corporate Governance Policies Pg. 14 - Oversee Anti-Money Laundering Function:
  The Bank’s Anti-Money Laundering function provides oversight of the management of the Bank’s compliance with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing laws, regulations and guidelines relevant to the Bank in the jurisdictions in which it operates.

SCOTIABANK OPERATIONS IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN REGION QUESTIONABLE OF A POSSIBLE CARIBBEAN COVER-UP?

In a letter dated February 4th 2019; that JJosephaNews had received; The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Gaston Browne; he described Scotiabank's agreement to sell its local banking operations without first consulting with his government as “precipitous, presumptuous and reckless of the interests of BNS’s shareholders to whom you owe a fiduciary responsibility.” 

In addition; The Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister noted that in an earlier letter from Mr. David Parks; managing director for the east caribbean operations of Scotiabank; had contained "inaccuracies of fact".

THE UNITED STATES TREASURY DEPARTMENT RESPONSE

In a communication with an executive from the Public Affairs office in The United States Department of The Treasury also with copies to Seth Unger; Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at United States Department of the Treasury; the executive wrote in response; "Treasury does not generally telegraph sanctions or comment on prospective actions".

The Maduro and Curiel's bank by name defunct, and the self-confessions of The President of Venezuela; Nicolas Maduro's descendancy via his grandfather, Nicolas Maduro "Oduber". 

Presently the bank is headed by family descendancy of the Capriles; "Chicu" Capriles.

During a mid June 2019 Plenary; US Secretary of The Treasury; Steven T. Mnuchin; delivered closing remarks highlighting; the critical role of the FATF, the importance of the new global standards agreed by FATF to protect virtual assets from abuse by money launderers, terrorist financiers and other illicit actors.

Earlier in July 2019, the US Treasury Department reported that; the treasury targeted Cuban support for the illegitimate Venezuelan regime and further removed sanctions on a company that ended its involvement in Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba.

The US The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; aka "Rico Act" and FATCA; to which Curacao signed on to; maybe some of the cornerstones to target Canadian banking institutions. These laws could eventually penalize and levy sanctions and actions on:

• (A.) Maduro and Curiel's Bank in Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire, 
• (B.) In addition to the Curacao Government prime-ministered by Eugene Rhuggenaath.
• (C.) In addition to the ScotiaBank Group Board of Directors, 
• (D.) The CEO and President; Brian Porter and 
• (E.) The corporate entity of The Bank of Nova Scotia, its subsidiaries and affiliates.  

In 2018; ING Bank in The Netherlands; (ING Groep N.V. registered in Amsterdam); paid a large settlement amount of 775 million Euros for basically the same role that now; ScotiaBank; has apparently played via Maduro and Curiel's Bank.

CURACAO CORNER

In a social random polling; members of the curacao community expressed a serious concern: 

• (1.) For Politicians, Parliamentarians/MP's; and Government Ministers having the philosophy of; "You Wash My Back and I Will Wash Your Back" Philosophy 
• (2.) That this backwashing philosophy is too rampant in the Rhuggenaath Cabinet, Ruling Government; (PAR-MAN-PIN); and as well in Curacao's Politics. 

However; the polled community expressed: they feel less confident in the opposition minority; MFK - KdNT - MP - PS; because they might Free: 

• Gerrit Schotte,
• Gerrit Schotte's girlfriend; Cecilia van der Dijs,  
• Schotte's first Minister of Finance; Convict George Jamaloodin, 

from all of their prison sentences, if the opposition was to toppled the government and would then become the government of the day!

However; the Curacao Community polled stated; that they want to see Justice for Curacao and the prosecution of:

• (1.) The former Minister of Economy; Steven Martina;
• (2.) The Former spokesman for the Public Prosecution Office; OM; Norman Serphos;
• (3.) The Minister of Social Development, Labor and welfare; Hensley Koeiman; and
• (4.) The Minister of Health; Suzy Camelia-Romer  

The curacao community expressed that they worry that the prosecution of MCB Bank may have many kinds of "Conflict Of Interests" by association with The Minister of Justice; Quincy Girigorie; (political party PAR); and the minister's colleague, the Curacao's Minister of Traffic, Transportation and Spatial Planning; Zita Jesus-Leito; (political partie PAR); who worked for MCB in her past.

REASONS FOR SUSPICION OF PAR CABINET MINISTERS IN A POSSIBLE COVERUP OF THE ROLE OF MADURO AND CURIEL'S BANK, MCB; AND THE GRYNSZTEIN'S FAMILY ACQUITTAL?

From 1998 until 2004 Zita Jesus-Leito was a member and  Assistant Managing Director at Maduro and Curiel’s Bank. According to housekeeping records Zita Jesus-Leito was in charge of Maduro and Curiel's Credit Company; (MCCC), Curacao's Savings and Loans department, and Curacao Mortgage departments.

Zita Jesus-Leito apparently left the banking sector of Maduro and Curiel in 2004 for Politics with the political party PAR.

WHAT IS MCB ROLE?

Since 2015, The Public Prosecution's Office; (OM), has suspected that 224 million dollars were transferred via swiped bank cards in Curacao, where, at least twenty million dollars; ($20,000,000 USD) were paid back via bank cash. 

The majority were coming from Maduro and Curiel’s Bank (MCB).

The Grynsztein family set up a structured card swiping system. First, the Grynsztein's company; Monterrey, was paying in cash, but thereafter, begun to make bank transfers on Venezuelans bank accounts.

To keep themselves "on the market", The Grynsztein family looked for merchants on the street that needed Venezuelans to swipe bank cards.

One of the merchants; Jose Luis de Andrade, explained to Judge Lieshout; that they had strong competitors on the market and via Grynsztein's company; Monterrey, he could have gotten services for paying the Venezuelans back faster, compared to his competitors.

Andrade continued; "after that, the Venezuelans swiped their bank cards, the money went to the MCB Monterrey's account." 

After that, the company (Monterrey) paid the Venezuelans from their MCB accounts. The moneys were then going to the registered countries, like, Colombia, Netherlands or other European countries.

Each intermediary had one or more MCB "swiping" machines. The intermediaries had many bank cards at the same time and were swiping little by little, because there were bank cards that were not able to be swiped for the complete amount of money immediately. The Venezuelans were bringing many bank cards to Curacao and leave the island without the bank cards, leaving them behind, which he collected. The intermediaries swiped their bank cards everyday. The money were administered and deposited via the Monterrey's bank account. After Monterrey received their money on their bank account, the account were taking away their commission and deposit money on the Venezuelans (those who brought the bank cards to Curacao) bank accounts.

It took approximately 11 years for the Public Prosecution's Office; (OM); to then intervened, after the first swipe occured in July 2004.

Apparently like ING Bank, Maduro and Curiel’s Bank (MCB) facilitated the money laundering on the island for many years. In an interview with the media, MCB CEO Lionel "Chicu" Capriles; declared that he wanted to set the record straight about MCB, but not until the Troya Case and the Grynsztein's Money Laundering trial involving MCB has been completed first.

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