A weeklong training workshop, organised by the Inter-Government Action Group Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (GIABA), in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretarait, Office of Technical Assistance, United States Treasury and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime   for Prosecutors   in English speaking   West Africa countries, ended   on Friday, October 19, 2007,   at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.

The training which brought together over 50 participants centred on anti-money laundering, terrorist financing and drug trafficking,   aimed at enhancing the capacity of Prosecutors and to build their expertise in prosecuting money launderers .

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Cecillia Marian, Adviser on anti-money laundering at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said the training   will widen the experience and knowledge of   Prosecutors and other law enforcement officials to enable them secure money laundering convictions and to forfeit proceeds of such crimes.

According to her, this effort is aimed at deterring criminals from using the financial system   and to also   deprive them of their illegal gains. “These techniques will help law enforcement agencies to explore existing anti-money laundering laws and to also get a grasp of draft laws that are yet to be enacted,” she stated.

Clive Scott, a representative from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, who double as the Legal   Adviser to the Global Programme Against Anti-Money Laundering Unit Office of the Prosecutor-General of Namibia described the training   as successful.    He said that law enforcement agents and Prosecutors need to be given the enabling environment to enforce anti-money laundering laws in their respective countries.