The Rt Honourable Grant Shapps is very sharp.
In the days before we were made to honour the little spiv he behaved very dishonorably and most dishonestly.
The other day he claimed he had been de-banked.
In fury, the spiv said, "anyone who decides to devote their life to public service is essentially at risk of being penalised by banks".
He must have said this tongue-in-cheek.
Maybe HSBC looked back at his past and thought he was a high risk..... not because of his 'public service' but because of his business ethics!
Using the name 'Michael Green' Shapps set up a web marketing company flogging rubbish books telling dimwits how to 'become filthy, stinking rich'.
To reinforce the message he pictured himself as 'Mr Green' getting out of Gulfstream jets and Rollers.
Here he is at a Las Vegas conference in 2004 with his Michael Green name tag.
IN a civilised society, every resident, every citizen, must be able to have and run a simple current account and a simple interest earning savings account, regardless of who they are. Ploitics should not come into this. Banking access must be a right of all. If there is suspected crime then and only then, with evidence, the bank must notify the customer first and give them a reasonable period of time to reply. To simply write to the customer to say the account is being closed, please move your money elsewhere is utterly shameful. It is very damaging, to the customer but worse, with ripples affecting their families, businesses, communities. Banking regulations and protocols need an overhaul.
ReplyDeleteIf a Bank or Building Society suspects that an account is being used for criminal purposes, they should put the allegation to the customer so that the customer may answer the allegation. I am sure most people are able to provide a perfectly satisfactory explanation, in these circumstances, with documentary evidence to support their position.
DeleteThe law prohibits financial institutions from "tipping off" a customer about a suspicion of money laundering so this situation needs to be approached with care. However, where money laundering is identified, the Bank is under a legal duty to report the matter to the Revenue. The Revenue does not want accounts being closed where laundering is taking place. They want to pounce and prosecute.