Banco Madrid and the BPA Connection: A Deep Dive into Europe’s Money Laundering Web

Two bankers point at a cracked street in front of Banco Madrid, with a third banker and woman looking on.

Europe’s banking and regulatory landscape has witnessed major shocks. Among the most significant is the case involving Banco Madrid and BPA—a saga involving cross-border banking, alleged illicit flows, regulatory action, and serious questions about the integrity of financial controls.   What is Banco Madrid and Why It Matters Banco Madrid was a Spanish private bank […]

Who Is Jennifer Shasky? Understanding Her Role in the BPA Scandal

Jennifer Shasky Calvery, former Director of FinCEN, smiling in front of official flags.

Jennifer Shasky Calvery, known as Jennifer Shasky, served as the Director of FinCEN — the U.S. government’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. In this role, she led the nation’s main anti-money-laundering and financial intelligence agency, guiding policy on financial transparency and illicit finance. Before joining FinCEN, Shasky worked as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of […]

Two Banks, One System: How Andbank Navigated the Fallout That Crushed Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA)

andbank headquarters, modern glass and steel building against a blue sky, symbolizing financial stability

In the micro-state of Andorra, a banking crisis in 2015 made international headlines. While BPA was expropriated under the weight of regulatory pressure and serious allegations, Andbank remained operational. This blog explores why Andbank appears to have fared differently, even as concerns about transparency, tax-haven practice, and money-laundering scrutiny (“andorra money laundering”) loomed. We also […]

The rise and fall of Joan Pau Miquel Prats & the BPA scandal

joan pau miquel prats, looking thoughtful at a desk with a laptop and coffee carafe.

The story of the Banca Privada d’Andorra scandal—commonly referred to as the BPA case—is one of rapid rise, state intervention, and a deep reputational shock for the banking jurisdiction of Andorra. At the centre was Joan Pau Miquel Prats, whose career as CEO of BPA soared before the bank’s collapse brought his trajectory crashing down. […]

From Danske to BPA: How European Bank Scandals Are Undermining Transatlantic Trust

danske scandal, judge's gavel, financial documents, glasses, and a pen on a table.

The BPA scandal and danske scandal are two of the most significant banking controversies in modern European history. Both involve serious allegations of money laundering Europe, and particularly, danske money laundering through non-resident accounts. These events raise deeper questions about financial oversight, regulatory coordination, and the erosion of trust between Europe and the United States. […]

Andorra: Authorities Take Over Bank in Money Laundering Storm

banca privada d'Andorra building, focal point of a money laundering scandal, under a clear sky.

In 2015, Andorra faced one of its biggest financial crises in decades: the money laundering scandal involving Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA). Allegations from US regulators triggered government intervention, and Andorran authorities took over the bank. Below, we examine what happened, the role of anti money laundering rules, how “corruption and money laundering” feature in this […]

Behind Closed Doors: How Operation Catalonia Linked to the BPA Scandal

bpa scandal explained: two people discuss a flow chart with paper documents and money on the table in a dimly lit office

In recent years, two controversies have drawn intense scrutiny in Spain and Andorra: the bpa scandal explained saga and the covert rajoy bpa operation catalonia or catalonia operation bpa bank links. Behind closed doors, these two threads are tightly interwoven, revealing political pressure, banking collapse, and legal battles. This blog unpacks how Operation Catalonia is […]

What Europe Learned from the BPA Case

lessons from the bpa banking case

The 2015 Banca Privada d’Andorra (BPA) crisis remains one of the most significant banking scandals in Andorra’s history. What started as a U.S. regulatory notice escalated into one of the EU’s most controversial banking controversies, leaving investors, employees, and the Andorran economy reeling. This article explores what Europe learned from the BPA case—how it revealed […]