Windhoek
Senior judges and magistrates from 13 out of 17 Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group Member States will gather in Swakopmund next week for a judicial retreat.
The main purpose of the meeting will be to deliberate on issues related the effective and timely adjudication of civil and criminal matters involving money laundering, financing of terrorist activity and proliferation financing, including identification of assets, as well as freezing and forfeiture of assets obtained with the proceeds of crime.
The retreat, scheduled for July 13 to 15, is the first of its kind to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa and is sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Anti-Money Laundering Programme, the Namibian government and the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group.
A Senior Circuit Judge from Kingston in England, Justice Hopmeier, who is an expert on predicate offences to money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation issues, will address participants at the retreat.
Attending judges will be availed an the opportunity to share experiences and the challenges they face in the effective and timely adjudication of civil and criminal matters, as well as the development of regional best practices, to overcome the identified obstacles.
One major outcome of the retreat will be a compilation of an electronic compendium of leading and relevant case law across the globe. This compendium will be availed to the judiciary to assist them in ruling on related matters.
In 2012 an assessment was conducted by the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Council (AMLTC). Several weaknesses and vulnerabilities were identified, including a lack of capacity and skill to effectively and timely investigate, prosecute, identify, seize and freeze proceeds of crime.
According to the Bank of Namibia, this week’s retreat is part of a strategic intervention to build the necessary capacity and to address potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities within the judicial process.