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Opposition Chief Whip accuses AG of over-reaching on money-laundering
PPP/C MP, Gail Teixiera
…AG making misleading statements
Gail Teixiera, Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party Civic, has said that the Financial Intelligence Unit is without a head.
Addressing the media at Freedom House, her party’s headquarters, Teixiera sought to clear the alleged misconception Attorney General Basil Williams would have caused with his recent statements, on the way being clear for Guyana to exit the review by the Financial Action Task Force.
Teixiera said that Williams had announced during the last debate on the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, that there was an acting Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit whom he named. She clarified that this individual had not been officially appointed in the interim.
Additionally, she said that the Minister proceeded on another occasion to state that the process for the selection of a Director and Deputy Director had been completed.
“The Minister’s claims and possible even report to the Financial Action Task Force is misleading, furthermore, we note that the Attorney-General reported that at a recent meeting of the FATF in Korea, that Guyana was cleared to exit FATF and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) regimes.”
She said that after that meeting FATF issued a public statement containing the decisions it would have made in respect of each country that is under its review process. In the June 24, 2016 public statement it stated, that Guyana has made improvements but did not mention anything about the country being cleared to exit the regimes.
Teixiera relayed that the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism (AML/ CTF) Act designates the National Assembly and the Committee of Appointments, as the means to which the 10 persons will be appointed to sit on the FIU and the AML/CFT bodies.
She said that the COA has not completed the process of selecting persons for the full positions as required in the Act. According to Teixiera when the process is completed, those names will be put formally to the house for approval. She said that the COA is still awaiting the submission of 10 names from the relevant civil society organisations. As such, there is no AML/CFT authority nor is there an effectively functioning and operating FIU.
The Member of Parliament added that the AML/CFT Act prescribes specific responsibilities for the Director that actually triggers and causes key and critical aspects of the Act to become operational.
On June 1, last, Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Basil Williams, during a press conference, had said that a Director had been identified for the FIU by the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments. He stated that the recommendations of the Committee will have to be voted on by the House. He did not disclose the name of the nominated Director.
Further, the AG said that the interviews of the applicants for the post of Deputy Director had also been concluded and that the process continues for the positions of lawyer and accountant for the unit. He said that when his government inherited the FIU it had only two active members, a Director and a Lawyer.
The function of the FIU is to facilitate the detection and deterrence of money laundering and financing of terrorism in Guyana. It was established and operates with the AML/CFT Act.
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