Hong Kong eyeing implications for banks of FIFA corruption probe

HONG KONG, May 28 (Reuters) - Hong Kong's de-facto centralbank, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), said on Thursdayit was aware of bribery and corruption charges against officialsfrom soccer's world governing body FIFA, and was monitoring theimplications for banks.

More than a dozen banks were named in a U.S. Department ofJustice indictment of nine FIFA officials and five sports mediaand promotion executives involving more than $150 million inbribes..

The indictment specifically mentioned $1.2 million beingwired to an unnamed bank account at HSBC in Hong Kong.Later, $1 million was transferred from the HSBC account throughStandard Chartered Bank in New York to a bank in theCayman Islands.

The HKMA declined to discuss individual cases.

It said it was "conscious of the threat that there could beattempts by money launderers to abuse the efficient bankingsystems in an international financial center." (Reporting by Denny Thomas and Elzio Barreto; Editing by IanGeoghegan)