Luanda - The ambassador of the European Union (EU), Rosário Bento Pais, said Monday in Luanda, that Angola is one of the African countries that has made the most progress in the field of combating money laundering and related matters.
Speaking at the opening of the Workshop on Money Laundering Risks related to designated non-financial businesses, she revealed that Angola and the EU have made strategic international political commitments with a view to promoting sustainable policies in these areas.
The EU representative in Angola pointed out that, currently, countries around the world increasingly feel the need to strengthen their judicial systems with tools that allow them to prevent, combat and stop these structured chains of illegality.
She emphasized that, as a result of persistent and convergent work on the part of the Angolan authorities linked to justice and the EU, the program implemented by UNODC has increasingly established itself as an important instrument of support for the justice system, placing Angola in one of the countries in Africa that have made the most progress in combating money laundering.
As the diplomat said, in a situation where these criminal issues are considered topical by national authorities as political priorities, anti-money laundering activities make a significant contribution to improving the justice situation in Angola. "This process continues on its path given the insufficiencies that still remain and which urgently need to be overcome.
However, the substantial results that together we have been achieving encourage us to continue and intensify resources to fight against crime and injustice", he stressed she.
Strengthening the partnership Rosário Bento Pais highlighted the fact that, last week, in Luanda, the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, signed a financing grant of 25 million euros with the Angolan Minister of Planning, Victor Hugo Guilherme, in relation to justice and the rule of law.
In her opinion, the Public Ministry (MP) occupies a central position in the justice system in Angola and its role in combating the risk of money laundering, related to non-financial businesses, is irreplaceable.
She informed that the project partners agreed to develop this initiative, "which we hope can contribute to strengthening the capabilities of the justice system, but above all of the Public Prosecutor's Office, of these magistrates in particular".
In turn, the Swiss ambassador to Angola, Lucas Johannes Gasser, highlighted the fact that his country's financial sector has taken significant steps in terms of "compliance" in recent decades.
"One of the areas in which Switzerland's financial center has made great progress is precisely the theme of this workshop, the so-called non-financial activities and professions", he assured.
According to the diplomat, this attachment to international principles is also visible in the comparison between Switzerland and Angola in the fight against corruption and money laundering, "which currently constitutes one of the most important aspects of our bilateral relations".
Switzerland is one of the countries in the world that has distinguished itself in the fight against money laundering in recent years.
The International Financial Action Task Force (GAF) recognized Switzerland's progress, notably with the review of the Anti-Money Laundering Law adopted in March 2021.
By the way, with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Angola, three experts from the “Institut de Lutte Contre la Criminalité Economique” (Neuchâtel, Switzerland) with experience in these matters will share their knowledge and success stories with Angolan technicians during the workshop.
The event, promoted by the Financial Investigation Unit (UIF) and the United Nations Organization on Drugs and Crime (ONUDC), is part of the Project to Support the Strengthening of the Asset Confiscation System in Angola (PRO.REACT), financed by the European Union (EU), which aims to develop effective systems to combat illicit financial flows.
The PRO.REACT Project, which aims to support the provision of the National Asset Confiscation System, is an initiative of the Angolan Government, financed by the European Union and is being implemented in partnership with the PGR and UNODC. DC/VIC/TED
