Africa-Press – Seychelles. In a significant step towards strengthening its anti-money laundering efforts, Seychelles has unveiled a groundbreaking judicial manual developed in collaboration with the Global Mechanism to Combat Money Laundering and European Union (EU) Terrorist Financing (AML/CTF).
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony held at the Eden Bleu Hotel on Tuesday, Chief Justice Rony Govinden described the manual as “a pivotal moment” in the country’s ongoing fight against financial crime.
He said the manual is the result of over a year of collaboration between Seychelles and the EU and was led by a team comprising the Judiciary’s Director of Legal Affairs, Lionel Garrick, and assisted by senior legal researcher Olya Hetsman.
Mr Govinden said they were also working with EU experts and teams from the Attorney General’s Office, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) and the Financial Crime Investigation Unit ( FCIU) of the Seychelles Police Force.
This was “to ensure that this document not only meets our local needs, but also becomes a comprehensive and functional tool that can serve as an effective guide throughout the chain of prosecutions, from investigation to prosecution.” trial,” he added.
The manual, specially designed for Seychelles, is the first of its kind in the country. This is a response to the enactment of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act in 2020, which highlighted the need for comprehensive guidelines to successfully complete complex investigations and prosecute effectively these crimes.
The manual aims to provide practical support in financial investigations related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing cases.
FIU Director Richard Rampal highlighted the impact such a manual will have on how Seychelles tackles money laundering and said: “This is an important development for the island, and I am privileged to contribute to this crucial initiative. ”
Developed with the expertise of EU Global Mechanism experts from France, the Netherlands, Moldova and Poland, the manual aims to ensure transparent coordination between all stakeholders involved in the fight against financial crime.
David Hotte, Team Leader of the EU Global Mechanism, spoke about the importance of providing Seychelles with concrete tools to effectively combat financial crime.
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