Money Laundering Investigation Techniques in Uganda: Judges and Prosecutors Gather to Strengthen Capacities
A high-level meeting of over 80 judges and prosecutors from Uganda and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region has commenced at the Lake Victoria Serena Hotel. The two-day workshop aims to strengthen capacities to tackle money laundering and terrorism financing cases.
Workshop Objectives
The training, jointly organized by the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) and the COMESA Secretariat, will focus on:
- Best practices in investigating and prosecuting organized crime and terrorism
- Sharing experiences and examples of successful prosecutions
- Building synergies among judges and prosecutors from different regions to facilitate cooperation in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing
Key Highlights
Uganda’s Progress in Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
According to a statement by the FIA Director, many of the recommendations from Uganda’s mutual evaluation report have been implemented, resulting in an upgrade of its ratings and removal from the grey list.
Challenges and Opportunities
The country’s risk assessment report reveals that corruption, fraud, tax crimes, and counterfeiting are among the most proceeds-generating predicate offences domestically. At the external level, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, wildlife offenses, and tax evasion are among the most proceed-generating predicate offences.
Workshop Outcomes
The workshop seeks to:
- Provide a platform for gathering and sharing experiences on the prosecution, investigation, and adjudication of money laundering and terrorism financing cases
- Discuss challenges and best practices in investigating and prosecuting these crimes
- Enable participants to maintain comprehensive statistics on matters relevant to the effectiveness and efficiency of Uganda’s anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) system
FIA Director’s Remarks
In his opening remarks, the FIA Director emphasized the need for cooperation among judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. He urged participants to take advantage of the training to build synergies that will aid national cooperation, coordination, and mutual legal assistance during the prosecution and investigation of these crimes.
Conclusion
The workshop is a sign of long-standing domestic cooperation between judges and prosecutors as well as regional cooperation with judges from other regions. It is expected to provide new ideas, insights, and conclusions that will benefit justice delivery in Uganda and the region at large.