Chris Ram, Gerry Gouveia proposed for anti-laundering authority

Chartered accountant and attorney, Christopher Ram and businessman Gerry Gouveia are among 10 persons expected to be appointed to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Authority.

The other persons are Nicholas Deygoo, Wayne Eucaulton Fordyce, Hance Manohar, UG lecturer Thomas Bissessar Singh, Frederick Collins, Mohamed Alli, Melissa Jessica DeSantos and attorney Sadie Amin.

The AML/CFT Authority is meant to be a key part of the architecture of the antilaundering act passed by the APNU+AFC government but it has been delayed for a long period as the parliamentary Committee on Appointments had to gather names after consultations with various groups.

A motion approving the names is set for presentation in Parliament. It requires a simple majority. The motion added that the Committee conducted due diligence and sought a declaration from the nominees on whether they were politically exposed persons.

The motion in the name of the Chair of the Committee, Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton says the following organisations were consulted: the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Guyana Association of Bankers (GAB), Institute of Chartered Accountants Guyana (ICAG), Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc. (TIGI),

Bar Association of Guyana, Insurance Institute of Guyana (IIG), the Guyana Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL) and the Guyana Securities Council (GSC).

Deygoo and Gouveia were nominated by the PSC, Fordyce by the GAB, Manohar by the ICAG, Singh and Collins by TIGI, Ram and Alli by the Bar Association, De Santos by the IIG and Amin by the GAWL.

The Authority’s specific responsibilities include ensuring that the work of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is conducted in an efficient, fair and cost-effective manner, in accordance with policy guidelines determined by the Assembly and the Finance Minister; ensuring, in the national interest, the performance of the FIU accords with international obligations and commitments; monitoring and reviewing compliance with all relevant legislation, policies and measures; ascertaining the need for any legislation or amendments to existing legislation; causing to be investigated any complaint, irregularity or mismanagement concerning the FIU; and proposing remedial action and assisting in the dissemination of information on the work of the FIU, and enlightening the public of the need for cooperation with the FIU.