Georgetown : Government’s spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon disclosed that the formation and functioning of the Serious Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) remains on the front burner.
Dr. Luncheon said SOCUs dedication to investigating anti-money laundering and crimes of money laundering was drawn to Cabinet’s attention during this week’s Statutory meeting.
Specific discussions took place on the efforts to operationalise SOCU for staffing and the work with specialists and the donor community as early as possible to establish a functioning and competent SOCU.
Dr.Luncheon pointed out that Cabinet remains focused on the primacy of the Anti-Money Laundering legislation. He explained that Cabinet recognises that the decisive intervention by Guyana, in so far as its obligations under the Caribbean Action Task Force (CFATF) being met, the role of enacting the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) legislation is paramount.
Dr. Luncheon also reported that Cabinet was advised by himself and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, about the non-parliamentary obligations under the treaty and attention was drawn to a planned sitting of the national oversight body at which the decision concerning staffing and training of staff to be recruited in the supervisory agency and in the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) would be discussed and endorsed. This he added would accord with the importance that the administration has been giving anti-money laundering in the Guyanese context.
Meanwhile, AG Nandlall and Dr. Luncheon also updated Cabinet on domestic developments with regards to the compliance with Treaty obligations under the CFATF. He stated that the report identified the major categories of obligations, concentrating on the legislative, in the form of the amended AMLCFT Act currently before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee.
In its most recent defence, Government in recognition that it had failed to meet the CFATF deadline for the submission of the enacted AMLCFT legislation, Guyana would be reporting again on November 18 with emphasis on developments surrounding the handling of the AMLCFT legislation by Parliament.
You must be logged in to post a comment.