TALLINN (Reuters) - Estonia said on Friday that it wanted to receive a share of any fines imposed by the United States if banks are found guilty of money laundering in the Baltic nation in ongoing inquiries.
U.S. authorities are investigating Denmark's largest bank Danske
"The reputation of the Estonian state has suffered greatly in several international money laundering cases in recent years," Estonian Finance Minister Martin Helme said in a statement, which did not name any banks.
The money laundering allegations being investigated by the United States focused on money flows through Estonia, which has been a bridge between Russia and Europe.
Helme said in a statement that if penalties are imposed on banks as a result of the investigations then Estonia wanted to "participate as a state in the distribution of fines."
"As a country, we are the victims of this process".
Sweden's Swedbank
Swedbank and SEB
Danske, Swedbank and SEB were not immediately available to comment on Friday.
Estonia said it hired a team at U.S law firm Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan LLP, led by former FBI director Louis Freeh, to represent it in the U.S. investigations.
(Reporting by Tarmo Virki in Tallinn; Editing by Colm Fulton in Stockholm and Alexander Smith)