Guyana has nearly 200 money laundering cases pending in the Courts – Nandlall

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall Tuesday night defended the government’s commitment to fight money laundering, noting that many persons have been apprehended and taken before the local Courts.

“We have a total of 187 cases pending in the criminal justice system in relation to money laundering-type cases,” Nandlall disclosed during his weekly “Issues in the News” programme.

He, however, noted that the government exerts no control over the judiciary and as such, cannot control how quickly the cases are dealt with.

Nevertheless, Nandlall posited that the government continues to demonstrate its commitment to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Earlier this month, Nandlall was part of the local team which successfully defended Guyana’s ratings, leading to the adoption of a key anti-money laundering report at the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s (CFATF) 58th Plenary and Working Group Meetings in Trinidad.

Among the justifications given were the cases before the Courts, the stringent measures in place to guard against money laundering and terrorism financing and the seizure of assets be it aircraft, yachts or ships.

And Nandlall said all these demonstrate the government’s commitment to fighting financial problems.

“The point I am making is that one can’t fault Guyana for lack of attempts and commitment to deal with organised crime,” Nandlall said.