Financial Intelligence Unit on July 25, 2022, commenced a five-day stakeholders’ workshop on anti-money laundering and combating financing terrorism.
The Director of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), David N. Bobor said the workshop is to clearly identify the risk and vulnerability within their system that will enable them to put appropriate mitigating measures in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, as the last risk assessment was done in 2017.
According to him, they are also going to update the assessment they did in 2017, and to close the gaps that were identified.
He said that they are going to look at other areas that were not covered.
At the end of the engagement, they want to enhance their robustness on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing in Sierra Leone. The workshop is supported by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA)
The Chairperson of the occasion, Retired AIG Morie Lengor commended the FIU for its relentless effort in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, adding that risk assessment is valuable in combating money laundering and terrorist financing, noting that the workshop is timely and important for the country.
He emphasized that risk assessment must be predicated on credible data and national risk assessment is a comprehensive document that entails everything pertaining to money laundering and terrorist financing.
He encouraged the participants to make their valuable contributions during the technical sessions that will be presented by expert.
World Bank Country Manager, Abdu Muwonge noted that they are very committed in combating money laundering and terrorist financing more especially the new emerging trends with numerous financial transactions with the use of mobile money, and cryptocurrency.
Deputy Minister of Finance 1, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura also commended the FIU in its effort on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing.
He registered government unwavering commitment to weed out menace in our financial system.
By Fatima Kpaka