Strengthening Compliance Culture:
The Importance of Employee Conduct Supervision from the SFC's Disciplinary Action
The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong announced on October 28, 2025, the temporary suspension of the license of former licensed representative TANG Wai Choi (“TANG”) of Shanxi Securities International Limited (“SSIL”) for seven months.
This decision serves as another reminder to financial practitioners of the imperative to consistently adhere to compliance standards and maintain market integrity.
For more details of the case, please refer to: SFC Enforcement News
Case Background and Regulatory Violations
During an investigation into a suspected “pump-and-dump” scheme, the SFC discovered that between July and December 2019, without the knowledge of SSIL and without valid written authorization, TANG accessed a client’s securities account and initiated 945 trading orders online on behalf of the client. Additionally, he failed to maintain proper records of the client’s trading instructions.
These actions not only constituted unauthorized trading but also impeded the company’s ability to fulfill its audit trail preservation obligations. The SFC’s probe revealed that TANG’s misconduct persisted over six months and involved high-frequency trading, highlighting systemic risks.
Impact and Potential Risks
TANG’s conduct not only deprived SSIL of the ability to reasonably verify the identity of the person responsible for issuing trading instructions in the client’s account but also hindered the company’s fulfillment of its obligation to maintain proper audit trails for the client’s trading instructions. Such behavior may lead to the following negative consequences:
Client Risks | Unauthorized account access and operations could result in financial losses or trading disputes. If these trades were linked to market manipulation, clients might suffer as unwitting victims, incurring investment setbacks. |
Institutional Risks | Licensed corporations unable to authenticate trade sources face heightened liability for internal compliance failures. In the event of disputes, firms could encounter civil lawsuits, reputational damage, and additional regulatory penalties. |
Market Supervision Risks | Unauthorized trades obscure true origins, complicating regulators’ efforts to track suspicious activities. This could inadvertently facilitate money laundering, insider trading, or pump-and-dump schemes. The SFC stresses that such practices erode market transparency and undermine Hong Kong’s standing as a global financial hub. |
In determining the penalty, the SFC consider factors including the duration and frequency of the violations, the need for industry deterrence, and TANG’s previously clean disciplinary record. The seven-month suspension sends a clear message: zero tolerance for actions that compromise market integrity.
The Importance of Enhancing Anti-Money Laundering Monitoring
This case underscores the critical value of a robust Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) Transaction Monitoring system. An effective AML transaction monitoring system can promptly detect abnormal transaction patterns—such as unauthorized account operations or frequent unusual trading activities—and conduct ongoing monitoring of client backgrounds. In this particular instance, a sensitive AML monitoring mechanism might have identified the unauthorized trading activities at an earlier stage, thereby reducing the potential risk of market misconduct. Financial institutions should invest in advanced AML technological solutions and establish a multi-layered risk defense system to ensure timely identification and reporting of suspicious activities, fulfilling their statutory compliance responsibilities.
Industry Implications and Best Practice Recommendations
This incident reinforces the necessity for financial professionals to adhere strictly to core principles:
Authorization and Access Control | Ensure all client account access and trading operations are properly authorized, with written records retained. |
Integrity of Audit Trails | Strictly comply with record-keeping requirements to ensure all trading instructions are traceable to specifically authorized personnel. |
Compliance Culture Development | Financial institutions should strengthen internal controls and employee training to foster a stringent compliance culture. |
The use of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) transaction monitoring system is critical in corporate compliance programs. These systems not only automate the monitoring process and enhance efficiency but also provide real-time risk assessment and reporting capabilities, enabling businesses to identify potential violations at an early stage.
By integrating these monitoring tools, financial institutions can better adhere to regulatory requirements, reducing the likelihood of human error and maintaining compliance and transparency in an ever-evolving market environment. This approach not only safeguards the interests of the organization but also strengthens investor confidence, contributing to overall market stability.
Conclusion
The SFC’s disciplinary action once again clearly demonstrates that regulatory authorities maintain a zero-tolerance stance towards any behavior that may undermine market integrity and investor protection. In an increasingly complex financial market environment, practitioners must consistently uphold the highest standards of professional conduct, while financial institutions need to establish robust compliance frameworks to collectively safeguard the reputation and stability of Hong Kong’s financial market.
Transaction monitoring isn’t an expense but a strategic investment in long-term sustainability. Together, let’s commit to reinforcing compliance culture and building a trustworthy financial ecosystem.
For more information, please visit – eDon AML Transaction Monitoring System.