§412:13-217 Representative office; factors for approval of application. (a) The commissioner shall issue a license to a foreign bank to establish and maintain a Hawaii representative office if the commissioner finds that:

(1) The foreign bank is in good standing under the laws of the country in which it is organized and is in sound financial condition;

(2) The management of the foreign bank and the proposed management of the Hawaii representative office are of good moral character, competent, and sufficiently experienced; and

(3) The convenience and needs of persons to be served by the proposed Hawaii representative office will be promoted.

(b) In considering whether the management of the foreign bank and the proposed management of the Hawaii representative office is of good moral character for the purposes of subsection (a), the commissioner may presume that in the absence of creditable evidence to the contrary, the management is of good moral character. The presumption may be rebutted by evidence to the contrary, including, but not limited to, a finding that a person has:

(1) Been convicted of, or has pleaded nolo contendere to, any crime involving an act of fraud or dishonesty;

(2) Consented to or suffered a judgment in any civil action based upon conduct involving an act of fraud or dishonesty;

(3) Consented to or suffered the suspension or revocation of any professional, occupational, or vocational license based upon conduct involving an act of fraud or dishonesty;

(4) Wilfully made or caused to be made in any application or report filed with the commissioner, or in any proceeding before the commissioner, any statement which was at the time and in the light of the circumstances under which it was made false or misleading with respect to any material fact, or has wilfully omitted to state in any application or report any material fact which was required to be stated therein; or

(5) Wilfully committed any violation of, or has wilfully aided, abetted, counseled, commanded, induced, or procured the violation by any other person of, any provision of this chapter or of any rule or order issued under this chapter.

(c) If the commissioner approves the application of the foreign bank for a license to establish and maintain a Hawaii representative office, the foreign bank shall then provide satisfactory evidence to the commissioner of compliance with the requirements of chapter 414 relating to foreign corporations, if applicable. The commissioner shall then issue a license to establish and maintain a Hawaii representative office to the foreign bank.

(d) Each license issued to a foreign bank to establish and maintain a Hawaii representative office shall state fully the name of the foreign bank to which the license is issued, the address or addresses at which the Hawaii representative office is to be located, and any other information as the commissioner may require. [L 1996, c 155, pt of §2; am L 2001, c 170, §18; am L 2002, c 40, §39]