United States Acting Consul General Dehab Ghebreab has urged law enforcement agencies to ensure that in the fight against financial crimes, none should be excluded.
Ghebreab spoke yesterday in Lagos at a Department of Homeland Security/Investigations–Cross Border Financial Investigations Training (CBFIT).
The seminar was attended by law enforcement officers and Ministry of Justice officials.
She said: “Evidence-based and thorough investigation that result in convictions consistent with Nigerian and international law will help you succeed and generate respect for you and your agencies. The training that you’re about to receive will enhance your investigation skills. .
“For Nigeria to tackle corruption effectively there must be clear and consistent consequences for those individuals who commit financial fraud. These sanctions must extend to all bad actors with no exemptions or exceptions for government officials who abuse the public trust and steal from their country. Your work is tough but you can do it successfully.
“The United States government recognises that financial crime is a global phenomenon transcending political borders. Developing partnerships with other nations and international bodies ensures effective outcomes in the detection of criminal activities and tracing the proceeds. Our collective efforts to combat and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing must focus and depend on identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and loopholes. Loopholes are frequently exploited by transnational criminal organisations, terrorists, and other criminal groups. Our training programme is designed to build partnerships and assist international law enforcement in countering trafficking and raising awareness of money laundering, bulk cash smuggling, and terrorist financing. Through international law enforcement partnerships, we can track down illegal actors and bring them to justice. We must work together to succeed.”
She added that the United States was committed to the fight against laundering of illicit proceeds.
The envoy said the effectiveness of the fight against financial crimes would help to reduce poverty in Nigeria.
“Stolen money returned to public coffers through your efforts could be used to improve education, health care, build roads, and develop your country. You must stop the crooks from stealing and trafficking public funds and with will power and capacity you can do it,” she said.
Ms Ghebreab presented a money counter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to assist the commission in its work.
The counter, she said, was specifically designed to help the EFCC count and sort the various types of international currencies they encounter regularly.
“It will allow EFCC to sort and quickly count bills from around the world with utmost accuracy and expeditiously, save valuable time. One of the greatest benefits, however, is that the counter can detect counterfeit bills, which should prove to be extremely beneficial to the EFCC,” she added.
