Financial Crime World

Congo’s War on Financial Crime: AML/CFT and Anti-Corruption Training Bolsters Government and Private Sector

In the Central African Republic (CAR) of Congo, an innovative initiative has equipped over 500 government officials with the knowledge and tools to tackle financial crimes and corruption through Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) and anti-corruption training. This project, spearheaded by a leading international organization, aims to reinforcing Congo’s institutional framework.

Capacity Building in the Public Sector

The intensive training program resulted in:

  • Methodologies, guidelines, policies, and tools: Over a dozen resources created to support key institutions’ pursuits of financial integrity, including:
    • Functional assessments of CENAREF and APLC
    • AML/CFT action plan
    • Operational procedures manuals
    • Security manuals
    • Conflict of interest and confidentiality policies
    • Whistleblower and witness protection policies

Empowering the Private Sector

Besides strengthening the public sector, the initiative trained over 30 private sector representatives, including all commercial banks in the DRC:

  • Knowledge transfer: Collective efforts to promote financial accountability and responsibility across the sector
  • Capacity building: Targeted trainings for APLC investigators and analysts
    • Investigative and financial audit capabilities
    • International best practices for investigating suspicious financial activity
    • Constructing solid cases
  • Analyst capacity augmentation: Targeted trainings for CENAREF analysts
    • International standards
    • Operational best practices
    • Data security

High-Level Roundtables

Promoting inter-agency coordination through high-level roundtables between government regulatory bodies and international counterparts in Kinshasa and other major cities:

  • Collaborative environment: Fostering a cooperative atmosphere among regulatory authorities

Information Sharing and Coordination

Strengthening Congo’s efforts to combat financial crime on a global scale through MOU templates provided to CENAREF:

  • Formal partnerships: Establishing relationships with both domestic and foreign Financial Intelligence Units