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PortuguêsEDITO
The OCWAR–M project wishes you a happy new season! We look forward to starting the new Academic year with you.
COUNTRY OF THE MONTH: GUINEA-BISSAU
In this edition, Mr. Justino SA, President of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Guinea-Bissau, presents the money laundering and terrorist financing risks specific to his country, and the work undertaken by his FIU to tackle them. He also talks about OCWAR-M’s support for the FIU’s application to join the Egmont Group.
FEATURED: FIRST TRAINING OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PPLAAF
In the fight against financial crime, investigative journalists can play a crucial role: by conducting and publishing investigations, they can inform a wide audience, and can also support the judicial authorities by providing valuable information.
Convinced of the importance of investigative journalists in the fight against ML/FT crimes, the OCWAR–M project organised, from 20 to 23 September 2022, its first training for this audience at the Maison de l’Alerte in Dakar, in partnership with the Platform for Protecting Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF). During four days, seven Senegalese journalists followed an operational training course, conducted by three investigative journalists: Moussa Aksar from L’Evénement and the Norbert Zongo cell, Yann Philippin from Mediapart and Sonia Rolley from Reuters.
Together, the trainers and participants discussed many topics, such as the specificities of investigative journalism, the development of a network of sources, the choice of an investigation topic or the use of secure communication tools.
EXPERT’S PORTRAIT: SERGE HOUEDANOU
In this issue, discover the portrait of Mr. Serge HOUEDANOU, Secretary General of the financial intelligence unit (FIU) of Benin and OCWAR–M expert on the strengthening of financial institutions.
OCWAR-M NEWS
ONRAC immersion week with French institutions in charge of the seizure and recovery of criminal assets
From 26 to 30 September 2022, the OCWAR–M project co-organised the immersion visit of a delegation from the National Office for the Recovery of Criminal Assets of Senegal (ONRAC) in French institutions in charge of the seizure and recovery of criminal assets. During this week, the ONRAC delegation, composed of its Director General Mor NDIAYE, five of its agents and a member of the Caisse des Dépôts et des Consignations, exchanged views with the teams of the French Agency for the Management and Recovery of Criminal Assets (AGRASC) and the Sub-Directorate for the Fight against Financial Crime of the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police, especially with the French Criminal Assets Identification Platform.
Participation in the European Commission’s Crime Fighting Week
The OCWAR–M project, represented by its coordinator Stéphanie BERTHOMEAU, took part in the European Commission’s Crime Fighting Week, which was held in Brussels from 26 to 30 September 2022. The OCWAR–M intervention was about “the challenge of curbing illicit financial flows in West Africa”: on this occasion, the project coordinator reviewed the issues and challenges of the implementation of OCWAR–M and presented the achievements of the project to date.
PRESS REVIEW
AFRICA
Pôle pénal économique: Qui est la juge présidente Blanche Essoh ABANET (Afrique sur 7, 07/09/2022)
Flux financiers illicites : l’Afrique mise sur l’entraide judiciaire (Journal de Brazza 19/09/2022)
INTERNATIONAL
FATF and INTERPOL intensify global asset recovery (Interpol, 13/09/2022)
