In the spirit of collaboration and partnership, FIU-Jersey and the Government of Jersey have hosted a delegation from the Sierra Leone FIU to Jersey. The delegation will focus on engaging with public authorities involved in anti-money laundering (AML), countering the financing of Terrorism (CFT), and counter-proliferation financing (CPF).
The week-long study visit, which is the first of its kind and funded by the Egmont Centre of Excellence and Leadership (ECOFEL), aims to:
- Share expertise and best practices amongst FIUs;
- Build networks within the AML/CFT community of professionals;
- Introduce new and innovative tools for FIU operations and development;
- Strengthen cooperation with international partner organizations;
- Empower FIUs to position themselves domestically and internationally as leaders.
During their visit, Sierra Leone FIU Director David Bobor and Deputy Director Kadijatu Juma-Sei will discuss best practices for tackling the global fight against financial crime from an International Financial Centre (IFC) perspective with FIU Jersey and hear about the work undertaken on the recent FATF MONEYVAL assessment of the island.
They also attended a special meeting of the Jersey Financial Intelligence Unit (Jersey's Public Private Partnership (PPP)) to share and discuss best practices concerning the various payment methods, behavior, and usage in African countries to understand the cultural differences and typologies in the region regarding financial crime.
During their visit, they will meet with other key figures from the island's competent authorities, including the Minister for External Relations, Attorney General, Chief of Police, and the island's Regulator.
Ian McDonald from the Government of Jersey commented:
"The Government of Jersey are delighted to welcome David and Kadijatu to Jersey. This trip has been a long time in the planning with all the various parties. Still, we view such collaboration as 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 commented:
“In the ethos of collaboration and partnership, this type of Executive Mentorship Program, as well as general information sharing and best practices, is crucial to combating financial crime, money laundering, and terrorist financing.”
David Bobor from Sierra Leone commented:
“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 other international financial crime events over the last four years, it is invaluable to travel to Jersey to witness how a different jurisdiction tackles similar issues in the fight against financial crime. We welcome the opportunity to understand first-hand the transformation that FIU-Jersey is undergoing under Jonathan's leadership.”