By Huw Jones
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said on Monday it had fined commodities services broker ADM Investor Services International Limited 6.47 million pounds ($7.9 million) for "inadequate" anti-money laundering systems and controls.
The FCA said the nature of the company's business and client base presented potentially high levels of money laundering risk because of its global spread of activities and clients that included higher risk so-called politically exposed persons.
The watchdog said it raised concerns at ADM in 2014, but there were still significant failings when it visited the company two years later when it found no firm-wide money laundering risk assessment, and policies referring to repealed legislation.
Requirements for remedial action were lifted in January 2018 at the company, part of nutrition and agricultural multinational Archer-Daniels-Midland Co of Chicago.
"ADM Investor Services’ failures put it at risk of being used to facilitate financial crime. These failings continued even after the firm had received clear warnings on the need to improve its systems," Therese Chambers, FCA joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight, said in a statement.
ADM, whose services covering energy, base metals, foreign exchange and cocoa facilitate over 180 million derivatives contracts a year, said it recognised that its systems to mitigate risks fell short of expected standards between September 2014 and October 2016, though no actual harm was identified.
"ADMISI is pleased that the issue has been resolved and is confident in the actions put in place to meet all regulatory requirements," the company said in a statement.
The FCA said ADM did not dispute the FCA's findings, which meant it qualified for 30% discount on the fine, reducing it from 9.2 million pounds.
($1 = 0.8207 pounds)