 By Ncaba Ntshakala
Eswatini has made significant strides in combating financial crimes over the past two years and remains committed to further enhancing its capabilities, according to the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Prince Simelane.
The Minister made this announcement while officially opening a critical workshop focused on interagency coordination in the fight against financial crimes in the country.
The workshop brought together delegates from prominent international organisations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Asset Recovery Network of Southern Africa (ARINSA).
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Also present were representatives from the United States’ State Department, alongside workshop facilitators and participants.
The Minister acknowledged the vital role these entities play in supporting Eswatini’s efforts to strengthen its financial crime prevention framework.
“In October 2021, the Kingdom of Eswatini received crucial support for a working group session on inter-agency coordination,” the Minister stated.
This initiative was spearheaded by ARINSA under the UNODC, culminating in the development and finalisation of the ‘Framework for Inter-Agency Coordination in Asset Recovery for Eswatini.’
This framework, adopted by the Government through the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, represents a significant step forward in Eswatini’s fight against financial crimes.
ARINSA not only provided the framework but also facilitated a brief training session for stakeholders, equipping them with the necessary tools to combat financial crimes effectively.
The Minister expressed profound gratitude for the ongoing assistance from ARINSA and the UNODC, highlighting the framework’s role as an essential capacitation tool.
This framework enables Eswatini to meet its international obligations in combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Minister also noted that a previous evaluation by the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) had identified a lack of coordination and cooperation among law enforcement authorities, competent authorities, and the private sector in identifying and investigating terrorist financing cases.
However, in the 2023 evaluation, Eswatini received positive feedback for having implemented a tool for inter-agency coordination.
Despite this progress, the evaluation also highlighted the need for better implementation of the framework’s contents.
“Today, we are gathered here again through the support of ARINSA to address this new gap identified in the implementation phase,” the Minister remarked.
He emphasised the importance of finalising Standard Operating Procedures on asset recovery, money laundering, and terrorism financing during the workshop and subsequent sessions throughout the week.
The Minister praised ARINSA as a cornerstone for the institution and implementation of asset recovery and financial crime prosecution in Eswatini.
He stressed the necessity of direct involvement from international and national agencies that possess the mandate, expertise, and resources to combat organised financial crime.
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With these efforts, Eswatini wants to strengthen its legal and institutional framework to effectively tackle financial crimes and fulfil its international obligations.
The workshop has been hailed as another pivotal step in the nation’s ongoing journey to enhance its financial crime-fighting capabilities.
Moreover, the Minister declared the workshop officially open and set the stage for fruitful discussions and collaborative efforts to further strengthen Eswatini’s stance against financial crimes.
