MOSCOW, June 7 (RAPSI) – The State Duma has passed in the first reading a government bill obliging auditors to report information on suspicious deals to authorities, database for the lower house of parliament reads on Wednesday.

According to the bill, audit organizations and individual auditors will be obliged to notify the authorized authorities about commercial deals or financial transactions of the audited entity if there are grounds to believe that those were committed for the purpose of money laundering or providing financial support to terrorism.

The bill was drafted in order to modify Russian legislation in accordance with Recommendation №23 of the International Standards on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation prepared by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This recommendation directs member states, including Russia, to oblige auditors with notifying authorities about suspicious deals.

The bill was reviewed and approved by the government on March 23.