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The U.S. Treasury Department will apparently cut the Macau-based Banco Delta Asia off from the U.S. financial system on Thursday. The Macau bank has been under suspicion of being a money-laundering channel for North Korea. The Treasury will announce final results of its investigation of North Korea¡¯s US$24 million accounts with the BDA 18 months after it froze them in 2005.
A diplomatic source in Washington said Monday the U.S. government will entrust Macanese financial authorities with the task of dealing with the matter. Macanese authorities will not be affected by the U.S. government¡¯s opinion and have discretion whether to liquidate or put up the bank for sale. In any case, all of North Korea¡¯s $24 million will likely be unfrozen and be given back to the country, the source said.
But he added the U.S. will continue its investigation of North Korean funds related to illicit activities like the suspected transfer of weapons of mass destruction and related technology according to the UN Security Council Resolution 1718.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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