AG's office hosts anti-money laundering workshop

The office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs (AGLA), in collaboration with the EU Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and countering the Financing of Terrorism, hosted a three-day workshop at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain from September 16-18.

The AGLA said in a release the workshop was designed to equip local stakeholders with tools to combat financial crimes such as money laundering and financing terrorism. Participants got training in turning financial intelligence into actionable and admissible evidence for use in court. It taught them how to enhance investigations, prosecutions and asset-recovery efforts.

The workshop was facilitated Liam Ennis, an expert with the Eureopean Union, along with Vyana Sharma, chairman of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Finanancing of Terrorism Committee.

“The workshop was a pivotal step in strengthening TT’s anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework,” the release said. “It also reinforced the country’s alignment with global standards, including the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, reaffirming TT commitment to protecting its financial system and supporting international efforts to combat illicit activity.”

AG and Minister of Legal Affairs, Reginald Armour, Justice of Appeal Gillian Lucky, Ambassador of the EU to TT Peter Cavendish and executive director of the CFATF Secretariat Dawne J Spicer all underscored the critical role of financial intelligence in prosecuting financial crimes and seizing illicit assets.

The speakers also emphasised the critical need for enhanced collaboration across agencies in the pursuit of more effective financial crime prevention and prosecution.