The Financial Intelligence Unit and the Government of Jersey have welcomed senior figures from the Sierra Leone Financial Intelligence Agency to the island as part of a study visit and mentoring programme.
The delegation will meet with public authorities involved in anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism and counter-proliferation financing.
Sierra Leone FIA Director David Borbor and Deputy Director Kadijatu Juma-Sei will discuss best practices with Ian McDonald, Associate Director of the government’s Financial Crime Strategy team and Jonathan Groom, Director at FIU-Jersey.
They will focus on interconnections in the global fight against financial crime, both from an African and International Financial Centre perspective, and the work undertaken during the recent FATF MONEYVAL assessment of the island.
Mr Borbor and Ms Juma-Sei will also meet with other key figures from the Island's authorities.
Jersey is a member and Sierra Leone a candidate member of the Egmont Group of FIUs, the global intelligence collective focused on financial crime.
This visit was funded by the Egmont Centre of Excellence and Leadership (ECOFEL) and marks the first Egmont Group sponsored study visit to share ideas, best practice and common challenges, as FIU-Jersey transforms and FIA Sierra Leone develops.
Ian McDonald, Leadership Mentor for ECOFEL Mentorship Programme said the trip was “essential to fostering the exchange of ideas and experiences and strengthening our global partnerships in the fight against financial crime”.
FIU-Jersey Director Jonathan Groom added: “This type of Executive Mentorship Programme, as well as discussing threat focuses and wider information sharing, helps build a future FIU that considers global threats and crossovers.”
David Bobor, Sierra Leone FIA Director, shared: “We thank ECOFEL, the Government of Jersey, and our partners FIU-Jersey for their support and for making this visit possible.
“While we have engaged virtually and met briefly at Egmont Group meetings over the last few years, it is invaluable to travel to Jersey to witness how a different jurisdiction tackles similar issues in the fight against financial crime.
He added: “We welcome the opportunity to understand first-hand the transformation that FIU-Jersey is undergoing under Jonathan's leadership.”
Pictured top: Mr Groom (right) presented Mr Borbor (middle) and Ms Juma-Sei (left) with a commemorative plaque to mark the visit to the Island and the “continued collaboration and partnership between the two agencies”.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.