Authorities take part in money laundering workshop

The Bank of Namibia through its Financial Intelligence Centre hosted an Anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism and proliferation financing investigation workshop for Namibia law enforcement on earlier this week in Swakopmund.
Through the workshop, participants were taught to use financial intelligence for money laundering and terrorist financing investigations, identify, preserve, confiscate, and assist in the forfeiture of proceeds, and instrumentalities used in the commission of crimes, and co-ordinate, and corporate in the fight against money laundering, financing of terrorism and proliferation financing.
Opening proceedings for the workshop, Major General Desiderius Shilunga, Namibian Police Regional Commander for the Khomas Region said, “We need to work hand in hand to stop criminals from using Namibia’s financial systems for their personal gain. Namibia as a country has made significant strides to promulgate AML/CFT/CPF legislation.”
According to Shilunga, a review will be conducted in respect of her compliance with international standards to AML/CFT/CFP, prompting its law enforcement agencies to cement the overall combating ability, in an attempt to re-enforce Namibia’s compliance through the training of law enforcement personal through a series of workshops.

In 2013, cabinet approved an action plan that aimed to address the shortcomings and together with the Ministry of Finance tasked the Financial Intelligence Centre of Namibia to spearhead the fight against money laundering Shilunga said.
Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre of Namibia, Leonie Dunn said, “The workshop will be taking place in each and every region over the next three months. This will ensure that no Law Enforcement Agent is denied the opportunity to be equipped with the required skill, capacity and capability to effectively, efficiently and timeously investigate and prosecute money laundering, and terrorism, and proliferation financing. We remain positive that this national capacitation exercise will tremendously assist Namibia to have a robust national money laundering, and terrorism framework in place.  According to Dunn, a money laundering, and terrorism, and proliferation financing assessment concluded that Namibia was non-compliant, sparking a need for government to put in place an effective framework.  
Added Dunn, “We will have the opportunity in 2016 and 2017 to demonstrate to the World that our country has made significant strides since 2005 to effectively and efficiently adopt policies and laws which enable our beautiful country to comply with our international obligations pertaining combating money laundering, and terrorism, and proliferation.”