A Fundamental Safeguard
Financial crime risk is inherent in high-value, cross-border and off-market environments.
Finova treats the prevention of financial crime as a fundamental safeguard — protecting counterparties, preserving legitimacy, and reducing exposure to legal and reputational harm.
Engagement does not proceed where financial crime risk cannot be reasonably understood or mitigated.
Risk-Based Verification
Finova applies a proportionate, risk-based approach to verification.
Verification is not a one-time event, nor is it applied indiscriminately.
The scope and depth of verification reflect factors such as:
- the nature of the proposed engagement,
- the jurisdictions involved,
- the roles and authority of counterparties, and
- the level of risk presented.
This approach balances diligence with practicality while maintaining appropriate safeguards.
Lawful Conduct and Authority
Finova expects all engagement to be grounded in lawful conduct.
This includes clarity around:
- identity and role,
- authority to act, and
- the legitimacy of funds, assets, or mandates involved.
Assertions of capacity or authority are not sufficient on their own. Where material uncertainty exists, engagement is paused until clarity is achieved.
Source and Legitimacy
Understanding the lawful source and legitimacy of funds or assets is a core component of financial crime risk management.
Finova does not engage where:
- the origin of funds or assets cannot be reasonably explained,
- information is inconsistent or misleading, or
- requests are made to bypass reasonable verification.
Legitimacy is treated as a prerequisite, not a negotiable condition.
Regulatory Alignment
Finova operates with awareness of applicable financial crime legislation and regulatory expectations across relevant jurisdictions.
This includes alignment with recognised frameworks and legal obligations in jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, United States, European Union, and United Arab Emirates, as well as other jurisdictions where engagement may occur.
Compliance with applicable law is a baseline expectation.
Ongoing Assessment
Financial crime risk is not static.
Finova recognises that:
- circumstances evolve,
- information changes, and
- new risk indicators may emerge.
Where appropriate, verification and assessment are revisited during the course of engagement to ensure continued alignment.
Professional Expectations
Finova expects counterparties to approach verification with professionalism and realism.
Resistance to reasonable verification, attempts to accelerate engagement by minimising risk considerations, or reliance on informal assurances are clear indicators of misalignment.
In such cases, engagement does not proceed.
Related Governance Areas
Finova’s approach to financial crime risk is supported by related governance areas, including:
- sanctions and jurisdictional alignment,
- market integrity and professional standards, and
- formal policy frameworks.
A Measured Approach
Finova’s objective is not to over-engineer compliance, nor to dilute it.
Verification is applied as a measured safeguard — sufficient to protect all parties, proportionate to risk, and aligned with credible engagement.