The newly inducted president of the Compliance Officers Forum of Liberia, Koko Weeks has alarmed over the huge wave of crimes in the financial sector of Liberia.
Mr. Weeks named money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking as crimes increasingly affecting the financial sector of the country.
Mr. Weeks made the remarks when he was inducted in office as president of the Compliance Officers Forum of Liberia recently in Monrovia.
“A hundred million United States Dollars was confiscated in October last year through the efforts of the joint securities; also in January, the joint securities arrested 197 plus million worth of cocaine, and a former national security personnel was found guilty this year for trafficking in a landmark case as well as Human Trafficking, Drugs, and Money Laundering,” Mr. Weeks asserted.
He expressed his leadership’s commitment to work with others in collaboration and unity to fight financial crimes in Liberia, and called on relevant authorities to join the fight. “It takes you and me to prevent financial crimes in such an economy,” he stated.
Other officers inducted into office include Ibraheem Odesola as Vice president; Comfort Seville, Secretary; Thelma Yoko, Financial Secretary, and Pierre Nemlin Treasurer.
Delivering the Keynote address at the induction ceremony, the Director General of GIABA, Edwin Harris stressed the need for both private and public sectors’ collaboration for an effective compliance culture in Liberia.
According to Mr. Harris, if collaboration must exist between the private and public sectors, there must be confidence, trust, and an overall single goal to protect the financial system from all unlawful activities.
He called on the private and public sectors to uphold integrity for an enhanced compliance culture in Liberia. “Confidence, trust between the private and public sectors cannot come anyhow; rather they come from a belief that integrity is at peak and that collaboration becomes mandatory and not optional or reluctant,” Mr. Harris expressed.
Making remarks on behalf of Justice Minister, Frank Musa Dean, Cllr. Lafayette Gould assured the Compliance Officers Forum of Liberia of the Justice Ministry’s willingness to work collaboratively with the Forum in fighting financial crimes.
“We at the Justice Ministry want to assure you that the Ministry is always open to you. The Justice Ministry is a public office; we will always be open to receive you and work with you in the fight of financial crimes in Liberia. Because financial crime is a global issue, we must work together,” Mr. Gould said.
At the same time Liberia National Police spokesperson Moses Carter said the LNP is committed and willing to work with the private institutions including the Compliance Officers Forum of Liberia to eliminate crimes in the country.
