Politična izpostavljenost častnih konzulov

Zadeva: 4601-197/2019

Spoštovani,

na Urad RS za preprečevanje pranja denarja (v nadaljevanju: Urad) ste s spodnjim elektronskim sporočilom naslovili vprašanje, ki se nanaša na politično izpostavljenost častnega konzula.

Zakon o preprečevanju pranja denarja in financiranja terorizma (Uradni list RS, št. 68/16, v nadaljevanju: ZPPDFT-1) v drugem odstavku 61. člena določa, da je politično izpostavljena oseba vsaka fizična oseba, ki deluje ali je v zadnjem letu delovala na vidnem javnem položaju v državi članici ali tretji državi, vključno z njenimi ožjimi družinskimi člani in ožjimi sodelavci. ZPPDFT-1 nadalje v tretjem odstavku 61. člena taksativno našteva kategorije funkcij, v okviru katerih je fizične osebe moč šteti kot politično izpostavljene osebe. Točka f) tretjega odstavka 61. člena ZPPDFT-1 kot politično izpostavljeno osebo opredeljuje tudi vodje diplomatskih predstavništev in konzulatov ter predstavništev mednarodnih organizacij, njihove namestnike in visoke častnike oboroženih sil.

Izpostaviti gre tudi, da Direktiva (EU) 2015/849 Evropskega Parlamenta in Sveta z dne 20.5.2015 o preprečevanju uporabe finančnega sistema za pranje denarja ali financiranje terorizma, ki jo ZPPDFT-1 implementira, politično izpostavljeno osebo opredeljuje kot fizično osebo, ki deluje ali je delovala na vidnih javnih položajih, kar med drugim zajema tudi veleposlanike, odpravnike poslov in visoke častnike oboroženih sil.

Urad meni, da je potrebno glede politične izpostavljenosti osebe, ki opravlja funkcijo častnega konzula, upoštevati opredelitev častnega konzula Ministrstva za zunanje zadeva, objavljenega na spletni strani   https://www.gov.si/drzavni-organi/ministrstva/ministrstvo-za-zunanje-zadeve/predstavnistva-slovenije-v-tujini/, iz katere izhaja, da častni konzuli na konzularnem področju nimajo pristojnosti in ne morejo opravljati konzularnih in upravnih dejanj. Prav tako na konzularnem področju nimajo konzularnih pooblastil, zato na tem področju delujejo le po zaprosilu oz. navodilu diplomatskega predstavništva ali konzulata Republike Slovenije oziroma ministrstva za zunanje zadeve RS.

Podobno stališče so sprejele tudi nekatere druge države, in sicer Malta https://www.mfsa.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MFSA-Guidance-on-Politically-Exposed-Persons-08-10-2018.pdfin Kanada https://www.fintrac-canafe.gc.ca/guidance-directives/overview-apercu/FINS/2-eng?s=10, ki častne konzule ne opredeljujeta kot politično izpostavljeno osebo, saj menita, da položaj častnih konzulov ni položaj, katerih naloge v tujih vladah bi bile podobne izvršilnim, zakonodajnim, pravnim, diplomatskim ali vojaškim oblastem.

Glede na navedeno menimo, da oseba, ki opravlja funkcijo častnega konzula ne spada v krog politično izpostavljenih oseb po določbi točke f) tretjega odstavka 61. člena ZPPDFT-1.

S spoštovanjem,

Branka GLOJNARIČ, direktorica I Director

Ministrstvo za finance I Ministry of Finance 

The Act on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 68/16, hereinafter: ZPPDFT-1) in the second paragraph of Article 61 stipulates that a politically exposed person is any natural person who is working or has been in the past year held a prominent public position in a Member State or a third country, including her immediate family members and close associates. Furthermore, in the third paragraph of Article 61, ZPPDFT-1 enumerates the categories of functions within which natural persons can be considered as politically exposed persons. Point f) of the third paragraph of Article 61 of the ZPPDFT-1 also defines as a politically exposed person the heads of diplomatic missions and consulates and the missions of international organizations, their deputies and high-ranking officers of the armed forces.

It should also be pointed out that Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20/05/2015 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for money laundering or terrorist financing, which ZPPDFT-1 implements, defines a politically exposed person as a natural person who acts or has held prominent public positions, including ambassadors, chargé d'affaires and high-ranking officers of the armed forces.

The office considers that, regarding the political exposure of a person who performs the function of an honorary consul, it is necessary to take into account the definition of an honorary consul of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published on the website https://www.gov.si/drzavni-organi/ministrstva/ministrstvo-za-external-affairs/representations-of-slovenia-abroad/, from which it follows that honorary consuls do not have jurisdiction in the consular field and cannot perform consular and administrative acts. Also, they do not have consular powers in the consular area, so they act in this area only upon request or instructions of the diplomatic mission or consulate of the Republic of Slovenia or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.

Some other countries have adopted a similar position, namely Malta https://www.mfsa.mt/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/MFSA-Guidance-on-Politically-Exposed-Persons-08-10-2018. pdf and Canada https://www.fintrac-canafe.gc.ca/guidance-directives/overview-apercu/FINS/2-eng?s=10, which do not define honorary consuls as politically exposed persons, considering that the position honorary consuls are not positions whose functions in foreign governments are similar to executive, legislative, judicial, diplomatic, or military powers.

Based on the above, we believe that the person who performs the function of honorary consul does not belong to the group of politically exposed persons according to the provision of point f) of the third paragraph of Article 61 of the ZPPDFT-1