Motion on the appointment of members of AML/CFT Authority deferred

DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, March 15, 2018

The motion for the National Assembly to adopt the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Appointments, to address matters relating to the assigning of members to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority, was deferred today in the House.

Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr. George Norton.

Chairperson of the Committee on Appointments, Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Culture, Youth, and Sport, Dr. George Norton asked that the motion be deferred pending several issues, that need to be rectified.

This was met with opposition by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) members of parliament, who prompted the Speaker of the House to take the matter to a vote.

Twenty-nine MPS voted in favour of the deferral and 28 MPS against. The motion for deferral was then carried.

Nicholas Deygoo, Gerald Gouveia, Wayne Fordyce, Hance Manohar, Frederick Collins, Thomas Bissessar Singh, Mohamed Alli, Christopher Ram, Melissa DeSantos and Sadie Amin were initially recommended to be members of the authority.

These persons represent nominees from the Guyana Private Sector Commission, Guyana Association of Bankers, Institute of Chartered Accountants Guyana, Transparency Institute of Guyana Incorporated, Bar Association of Guyana, Insurance Institute of Guyana, Guyana Association of Women Lawyers and the Guyana Securities Council.

The establishment of this authority is in keeping with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Act No.1 of 2015, Section 7A (1), which states that, “the National Assembly shall by a simple majority and on the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee on Appointments, after the Committee may deem necessary to consult, appoint a body comprising ten members to be known as the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism Authority.”

 

By: Stacy Carmichael

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