By Ahmed Ahmed
The Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering In West Africa (GIABA) has urged stakeholders to intensify fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in Africa.
Our correspondent reports that the stakeholders are Financial Institutions, Financial Intelligence Units, Media and Anti Money laundering departments and Agencies of the region.
Mr Timothy Melaye, Manager, GIABA Information Centre, Lagos, made the call at the end of a 3 days workshop for Journalists from West African countries recently in Assinie Côte D Ivoire.
He urged the stakeholders to show deepest commitments and efforts in the fight against activities underlying money laundering and terrorist financing in the region.
Melaye emphasized the need for effective enforcement of the Anti Money laundering unit and effective investigative reportage of the menace.
“Organized crime knows no borders and all nations must cooperate fully to address it.” GIABA alone cannot overcome these problems,” Melaye stated.
“Whatever efforts we make at the regional level will have little impact without the commitment of all. Together, hand in hand, we will achieve GIABA’s mission for a transparent world,” he added.
According to him, the 2016-2020 strategic plan developed by GIABA in the context of the ever changing global outlook on Anti Money Laundering and Combating the Financing Terrorism (AMLCFT).
Melaye also emphasised the need for closer and more productive collaboration with the media to check and report the excesses in Money laundering and terrorism financing.
Mr Melaye stressed that in every member state, GIABA had great intermediaries who were important pillars in the fight it carried out daily towards establishing an environment devoid of money laundering to peace building.
