The US Department of Treasury Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) hosted training sessions on implementing effective anti-money laundering programmes, as part of its Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Programme.
In a press release, the US Embassy said OTA Economic Crimes Senior Advisor Howard Allen and Economics Crimes Latin America and Caribbean Regional Advisors Gerard Dupczak and Thomas Nollnermet local authorities to discuss best practices in further implementing Guyana’s 2009 Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Terrorism Act.
“Government and non-governmental officials focused on how best to coordinate efforts among various stakeholders to ensure efficient investigation and prosecution of persons involved in financial crimes,” the release said. The training aimed at boosting capacity for prosecuting illegal money laundering operations and to put in place a framework of US-Guyanese cooperation on matters of training, technical assistance and communication.
Training participants included representatives from the Embassy, Bank of Guyana, the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Guyana Revenue Authority, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit and the Institute of Internal Auditors Guyana chapter. At the close of the sessions, the OTA team held an outbrief session with Ambassador D Brent Hardt and Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas Pierce to discuss the week’s developments.
The CBSI is the latest pillar of US security strategy focused on citizen safety throughout the hemisphere. It seeks to bring all members of Caricom and the Dominican Republic together to jointly collaborate on regional security with the Untied States as a partner.
The sessions were held from February 13
to 16.
