Finance
Danske Bank completes US probation over Estonia case
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 15, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 15, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Danske Bank ends its US probation related to the Estonian branch case, finalizing all regulatory processes and settling with a $2 billion forfeiture.
COPENHAGEN, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Danske Bank said on Monday it had completed a three-year corporate probation with the United States' Department of Justice, marking the end of all formal regulatory processes tied to its former Estonian branch.
Denmark's biggest lender came under investigation in multiple countries after saying in 2018 that an internal probe had uncovered about 200 billion euros of payments from Russia and elsewhere made through the Estonian branch, with many appearing suspicious.
"We have now successfully concluded the process with the DoJ, which also means that all formal processes with regulatory authorities in relation to the non-resident portfolio at Danske Bank’s former Estonia branch have now been finalised," CEO Carsten Egeriis said in a statement.
The bank pleaded guilty in late 2022 to bank fraud conspiracy, forfeiting $2 billion to settle the U.S. investigation. It was also placed under corporate probation until December 13, 2025 as part of the deal.
(Reporting by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Anna Ringstrom)
Corporate probation is a period during which a company is monitored by regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, often following a violation or legal issue.
Bank fraud involves illegal activities aimed at obtaining money or property from a bank or financial institution through deceitful means, such as falsifying information or identity theft.
Regulatory compliance refers to the adherence of a company to laws, regulations, guidelines, and specifications relevant to its business processes, ensuring legal and ethical operations.
A financial investigation is a process conducted by authorities to examine financial records and transactions to uncover fraud, money laundering, or other illegal financial activities.
A non-resident portfolio consists of financial assets held by individuals or entities that are not residents of the country where the financial institution operates, often subject to different regulations.
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