42.— (1) A designated person who knows, suspects or has reasonable grounds to suspect, on the basis of information obtained in the course of carrying on business as a designated person, that another person has been or is engaged in an offence of money laundering or terrorist financing shall report to F102[FIU Ireland] and the Revenue Commissioners that knowledge or suspicion or those reasonable grounds.

(2) The designated person shall make the report as soon as practicable after acquiring that knowledge or forming that suspicion, or acquiring those reasonable grounds to suspect, that the other person has been or is engaged in money laundering or terrorist financing.

(3) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (2), a designated person is taken not to have reasonable grounds to know or suspect that another person commits an offence on the basis of having received information until the person has scrutinised the information in the course of reasonable business practice (including automated banking transactions).

(4) For the purposes of subsections (1) and (2), a designated person may have reasonable grounds to suspect that another person has been or is engaged in an offence of money laundering or terrorist financing if the designated person is unable to apply any measures specified in section 33(2) or (4), 35(1) or 37(1), (3), (4) or (6), in relation to a customer, as a result of any failure on the part of the customer to provide the designated person with documents or information.

(5) Nothing in subsection (4) limits the circumstances in which a designated person may have reasonable grounds, on the basis of information obtained in the course of carrying out business as a designated person, to suspect that another person has committed an offence of money laundering or terrorist financing.

(6) A designated person who is required to report under this section shall disclose the following information in the report:

(a) the information on which the designated person’s knowledge, suspicion or reasonable grounds are based;

(b) the identity, if the designated person knows it, of the person who the designated person knows, suspects or has reasonable grounds to suspect has been or is engaged in an offence of money laundering or terrorist financing;

(c) the whereabouts, if the designated person knows them, of the property the subject of the money laundering, or the funds the subject of the terrorist financing, as the case may be;

(d) any other relevant information.

F103[(6A) A designated person who is required to make a report under this section shall respond to any request for additional information by FIU Ireland or the Revenue Commissioners as soon as practicable after receiving the request and shall take all reasonable steps to provide any information specified in the request.]

(7) A designated person who is required to make a report under this section shall not proceed with any suspicious transaction or service connected with the report, or with a transaction or service the subject of the report, prior to the sending of the report to F102[FIU Ireland] and the Revenue Commissioners unless—

(a) it is not practicable to delay or stop the transaction or service from proceeding, or

(b) the designated person is of the reasonable opinion that failure to proceed with the transaction or service may result in the other person suspecting that a report may be (or may have been) made or that an investigation may be commenced or in the course of being conducted.

(8) Nothing in subsection (7) authorises a designated person to proceed with a service or transaction if the person has been directed or ordered not to proceed with the service or transaction under section 17 and the direction or order is in force.

(9) Except as provided by section 46, a person who fails to comply with this section commits an offence and is liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €5,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months (or both), or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years (or both).

(10) A reference in subsection (7) to a suspicious transaction or service is a reference to a transaction or service that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting would, if it were to proceed—

(a) comprise money laundering or terrorist financing, or

(b) assist in money laundering or terrorist financing.

F104[(11) FIU Ireland shall, where practicable, provide timely feedback to a designated person who is required to make a report under this section on the effectiveness of and follow-up to reports made to it under this section.]