Guyana’s blacklisting a certainty

Sep 24, 2013 News

…non compliance with anti money laundering legislation to blame – AG

While A Partnership for National Union (APNU) Leader has maintained that it is concerned with the quality of the Bill produced and not the time frame in which it has to be tabled, Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs said that it makes no sense having the “best Bill” when the country will be blacklisted.

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall

The AG was speaking at a press conference held by the People’s Progressive Party at their Freedom House, Robb Street headquarters.
Last week, the APNU Leader, commenting on the belated enactment of the Anti Money Laundering and Countering of Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act, had stated that the party is not bound by “bogus deadlines”.
He said that in order to produce the “best” Act, the party is taking its time. “We are not going to be rushed into making another bad Act. We have too many already”.
Then there was the passing of the August 26 deadline at which time a complete report on Guyana fulfilling the obligation of enacting of the Bill was to be submitted to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).
According to the AG, however, this means that Guyana has violated every time frame prescribed by the CFATF to complete the Bill’s enactment. He said that as a result of the non support of the joint Opposition, with regard to the passing of the bill, it is “stuck in a Select Committee”.
Currently, he said, the country stands most likely to be placed on the list of non compliant jurisdictions. “It takes a country approximately five to seven years to be taken off such a list,” the AG identified.
He said that should that occur at the next meeting of the CFATF, scheduled to be held in the Bahamas in November, the consequence will strike Guyana’s commercial sector, with its image as an investment and tourist destination being hit.
“In the end, every single Guyanese would be affected,” he stated.
Stating the fact that the Opposition has refused to assent to the Firearms (Amendment) Bill 2012 for the reason that they “have no confidence” in the current Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee, the AG questions the reason for the non assent to the Anti Money Laundering bill, since it “has nothing to do with Minister Rohee.”
“Is it that they have a vested interest in protecting money launderers and terrorists, or that they simply want Guyana to be blacklisted so that our business sector, our economy and our people will suffer. It must be one of the two or both.”
He further noted that the Opposition members “do not attend the meetings of the Special Committee,” the body tasked with fine tuning the bill before it is presented to the National Assembly.

APNU Leader, David Granger

As of now, according to Presidential Advisor Gail Teixeira at last week’s post Cabinet press briefing, the Special Select Committee will be expected to present a new report before the body meets again in November.