WASHINGTON – The U.S. Justice Department announced on Tuesday that it will share $50 million in forfeited assets with Estonia in recognition of Estonia’s assistance in the successful prosecution of Danske Bank and related forfeiture.
The bank, which was the subject of several investigations, pleaded guilty in late 2022 to bank fraud conspiracy and forfeited $2 billion to settle the U.S. investigation. The investigations stemmed from an internal probe in September 2018 that uncovered about 200 billion euros of payments made through its now-shuttered Estonian branch, with many payments appearing suspicious.
Estonia cooperated in the Danske Bank investigation and shared evidence obtained in its probe with U.S. authorities. Under the agreement, Estonia will use the funds to strengthen its capacity to fight financial crime.
The Estonian embassy in Washington separately confirmed the agreement with the U.S.