MACAO, Sept. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Banco Delta Asia (BDA), a Macao-based bank accused by the US government of money-laundering, has temporarily halted its business relating to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

    Stanley Au, chairman of the Delta Asia Financial Group (BDA's parent company), told a press conference on late Saturday that thegroup stopped the business in a bid "to resolve the dispute with the United States Department of Treasury."

    Au, however, noted that the halt will not be permanent.

    BDA has had business relations with DPRK banks and trading agencies for decades, said Au, adding that it was "weird" for the US government to make the money-laundering charge at this moment.     

    Stuart Levey, the US Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism andFinancial Intelligence (TFI), Thursday said in his report published on the web-page of the Department of Treasury that BDA has aided the DPRK in series of money-laundering cases.

    The US official, in his report, also slammed the Macao Special Administration for its laxness in curbing of money laundering.

    The US official's assumption has produced a shaky situation forthe bank, as the total withdrawal has reached 300 million patacas (37.5 million US dollars) till late Saturday, donning 10 percent of its deposit. Enditem