By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall has pointed out what he described as the “lack of information” from the AG’s Chambers as it relates to Guyana amending its Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Legislation.
At a press conference held at Freedom House on Thursday, June 18, Nandlall expressed hope that the current AG and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams is attending the relevant meetings with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), where Guyana has to update the Regional Body on the progress made in amending the legislation.
“I hope that the Attorney General is attending those meetings because at those meetings, he is supposed to update the CFAFT on where we are currently in terms of complying with a regime of obligations and courses of action to which we have committed ourselves as a country, including among them are the enactment of a new amended bill, bringing Guyana up to speed with where the rest of the world is,” Nandlall explained.
He further noted that more information will have to be added to the Bill if Guyana takes longer to pass the Bill in the National Assembly.
“The longer we take to pass this Bill; it is more we will have to add to the Bill because it is an evolving process. Everyday new information emanate from these international agencies, that countries are expected to incorporate and implement within its legal and financial structure. So the longer that we take to do so the more onerous the responsibility becomes,” the former Attorney General said.
The APNU+AFC, while in the Opposition had withhold its support for the AML Bill, citing various concerns with the amended version, causing Guyana to miss several deadlines of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force.
As a result, Guyana was summarily blacklisted by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) – the regional body that deals with financial crimes.
This took place despite pressures from several civil society groups and members for the diplomatic corps for the political factions to find common ground and allow the Bill to be passed in the National Assembly.
However, now that they are in government, the APNU+AFC have committed to passing the amended Bill in the Parliament as soon as possible, stating that it is a priority on the Parliamentary agenda.
go to parliament and discuss not your bottom house where y’all meet up in… you tried to jeopardise this bill in the first place due to your corrupt and thieving ways, no one takes you seriously
did I read right wasn’t it the PPP/C and this same Anil Nandlall who was dragging their feet on this matter that cause us to be in the position we are in right now. It will get done and I do hope it will take care of all those who were laundering including Nandlall.
The APNU and AFC parties at the time were the ones who combined and voted against the money laundering bill, the hydro plant, the airport expansion etc. so how could all of you claim that the PPPC are the ones accountable for the bill not to be passed?? Things are brewing, enjoy your two years in office!
APNU-AFC YOU NOW HAVE THE POWER TO PASS YOUR BILL WITH ALL THE FOOLISHNESS YOU PROPOSED IN THE TENTH PARLIAMENT. PASS IT AND GO AND LOOK LIKE A FOOL BEFORE THE EYES OF THE WORLD.
Nandlall is such a pathetic shadow of his former self as he whines and complains about an issue over which the PPP regime had absolute control but did absolutely nothing.
The PPP used its parliamentary majority in 2009 to pass the AML Law. In 2011, Jagdeo publicly worried about the new Financial Intelligence Unit’s failure to make one single money laundering bust in 2010, which meant he knew money laundering existed but he did nothing as President to ensure the FIU or the Attorney-General or the DPP did something about money laundering.
Are these guys divorced from their memory or do they believe that making these outrageous statements makes them look good. They were the ones that all but ignored the AML bill dispute the efforts of APNU/AFC. This guy is a comedian.
SONIA: SEH WHA YUH MEAN AND MEAN WHA YUH SEH.
LACK of INFORMATION? You’re kidding right? You’ve got nerve, this bill was practically ignored by the PPP/C, almost to the point of jeopardizing International Relations, now you want them to hurry up?
Like something now get into their topballon- all of them wearing suit like them is office and making charge i though it was meh boy who as mad alone but like is all of them
hahahhah