| Guyana’s fate is now in the hands of the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce (CFATF) which will today commence a review of the country’s stance on Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism.Given the recent failure to win opposition support in Parliament to vote for the changes to the law, Guyana could very well be blacklisted as a non-compliant country.Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall,World Baseball Classic Jerseys, will head the Guyana delegation to the CFATF review, which will conclude on Thursday.Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil NandlallCFATF has already drafted a report blacklisting Guyana and there is all likelihood that it would be adopted.According to a government release, Nandlall said that “Guyana is now left at the mercy of the discretion of the CFATF…it is out of my hands.”Nandlall reminded that in May during the Nicaragua meeting, Guyana was granted six months to make the necessary changes and adopt the CFATF recommendations that had been put forward.“Not in my wildest imagination did I predict that the Opposition would have behaved the way that they have done,” he said.The AG will have to report to a group of approximately 40 persons representing the interest of 26 countries and said that he has no sensible reason to put forward as to why the Bill was rejected by the Parliamentary Opposition.According to Nandlall, “I may very well be asked, are you speaking of a National Assembly or are you speaking of a National Asylum?”Should Guyana be blacklisted, it would mean that CFATF would instruct its member countries to adopt counter-measures to protect themselves from the risks of money laundering and financing terrorism emanating from Guyana.The recommendations from CFATF are two folds, namely the legislative amendments as well as the establishment of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU).Government first brought the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill to Parliament in April and the Opposition voted to send it to a Special Select Committee.This Committee would have been tasked with reviewing and amending the various clauses in the Bill as well as allow submissions from other entities such as the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Guyana Bar Association.Invitations were issued to Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI),NFL Jerseys Outlet From China, the Commissioner of Insurance, Guyana Securities Council, Bank of Guyana, the DPP, the Guyana Bar Association, Guyana Association of Bankers,Adam Loewen Canada Jersey, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Ram and McRae, the Women Lawyers Association and the Guyana Association of Legal PractitionersThat Committee was chaired by Gail Teixeira and its members, included Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee,Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale China, Nandlall, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill while the Opposition members were Basil Williams, Deputy Speaker, Deborah Backer, Carl Greenidge, Joseph Harmon and Khemraj Ramjattan.The Committee met 17 times over the six months after which it was returned to the Full House for a vote.At that Parliamentary session the Bill was rejected.The political opposition argued that the work of the committee was incomplete and wanted it returned, but Government opted for a vote after which it was defeated.At that time, Government speakers contended that the Opposition had delayed and dragged its feet during the six months the Committee met.Teixeira told the House that over the course of time, the Committee met on 17 occasions,Authentic NFL Jerseys Wholesale, and at most meetings the opposition was poorly represented or absent altogether.A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s point man on finances, Carl Greenidge, informed the House that the Government had reneged on agreements in the Committee, and as such, the coalition wanted the Bill recommitted.Government in turn said that the Opposition had dithered for six months and any recommitting to Committee would have to be time bound, so that the Bill can return to the House and be enacted before the November 18 review.When the Opposition refused to give a commitment on a timeline, Nandlall was forced to put the Bill to a vote,World Baseball Classic Jerseys 2017, and it was promptly greeted with a resounding “no.” This led to a division of the votes which resulted in a 33/28 outcome. |
