Our database


Overview

PepChecker strength is to gather monthly updated raw PEP data and combine it with 6 international sanctions lists. The database offers a reliable source for executing accurate risk categorisation based upon legal requirements in part of your screening and monitoring processes.

Specific features we offer:

Our offered PEP database is constantly enhanced in line with changes in legislations, international official discussions and papers on PEP definition, and on the basis of an on-going exchange with clients, partners, compliance specialists, professional groups and authorities. The structure of the database and the definition of PEPs correspond to the directives issued by the FATF, the EU, FINMA, and other national regulators worldwide. In addition, our PEP database has been specifically designed to support financial institutions in complying with regulatory requirements while maximising their value for money. It enables the client to:

We aim to provide our clients with a PEP database that takes into account all legislative requirements (e.g. in Switzerland the definition is different to the definition in the EU or USA) and provides selection possibilities in line with the specific relevant jurisdictions, risk environment and internal guidelines (definitions of PEPs within different institutions in the same country and industry may vary significantly).

PEP Database Content

The PEP database contains the most comprehensive list of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) from more than 240 territories of the world, as well as from international organizations and political and diplomatic representations with over 1 000,000 relevant PEPs.

Persons in the PEP list are detailed with gender, alternative names, original name script (Cyrillic, Mandarin, Arabic, .etc) for perfect identification of names, date of birth and place of birth and other important identification data if available.

In order to comply with the requirements of the law, we have adopted, for the PEP a comprehensive approach, to include all relevant positions, categorising PEPs according to regulatory requirements and classifying them. The multiple categorisations allow clients to include or exclude functions, specific functions and categories in line with their own PEP definitions or needs.

A specific country might be selected/de-selected. PEPs can be excluded after a certain period during which they have not been active, the period selection is flexible. PEPs at lower than national level can be exempted from a process if so wished. Categories, country fields and content classification are in line with legal requirements.

Criteria used to compile the PEP database

PEPChecker's partners are using best practice approach, based on a working definition, with examples, extensive guidelines and training to understand the purpose of the legislation and in particular the intention of the legislators implementing the PEP definition. This practice is applied for each individual country, international organization or diplomatic activity in the political and social context of the moment.

PEP definition (link to FATF definitions page) is based upon international definitions and rules, integrated with on-going regulatory discussions on PEPs, clients and partners contributions and our own experience and knowledge pool.

Professional editors identify PEPs depending also on the political and social environment, as required by the legislator; they combine an excellent understanding of the purpose of the definition with a deep knowledge of the country. Internal research teams constantly monitor the changing situations in each country and territory to reflect immediately the change of power and importance of PEPs in the PEP database.

In line with regulatory requirements, our partner's experts apply guidelines with general categorisations and sub-categorisations for the optimisation of the PEP database.

Updates are continuous multilevel procedures. News sources are constantly screened all over the world, and regular updates of countries, categories, functions or other sections are scheduled ac- cording to specific plans. At the same time additional processes for elections and planned political changes, as well as updates due to new legislative requirements, are integrated into the whole sys- tem.

All these procedures are integrated in a comprehensive production process system to which professionals at various levels have access with different roles and authorizations:

Controls are performed at all stages with manual pre-defined steps and professional reviews as well as standardised IT checking tool and integrated systems processes. Procedures and approvals are clearly defined. Additional quality assurance processes are performed at the final database level. The working process contains several levels of priority applied to tasks, countries and other criteria. The practical implementation of the guidelines is supported by an internal knowledge base, by constant training and by extensive detailed documentation. Internal country factsheets and knowledge base contain internal information on country structure, characteristics, political organization with details on each branch (executive, legislative, judiciary etc.). They contain information on languages and scripts, data availability and quality. For each territory characteristics of names are described, how names are normally set up (e.g. first name first and last name second, various last names), how names are inherited by children and spousal name change mechanisms. Sources are detailed and evaluated (official sources, special sources, quality and information on sources). The correspondence between the regulatory requirements and the country specific political set up are also detailed in the factsheet. PEPs are evaluated for their relevance according to following criteria:

Sources

Sources of information for the PEP database are almost exclusively official government websites (presidency, government, legislative bodies, supreme courts of justice, military administration etc.) and official gazettes where laws, decrees, investitures and depositions are published.

Sanctions lists cover: