Equipment worth over 50 thousand US $ to strengthen State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in all government, private sector institutions operating in an entirely new environment. The Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") has identified the potential risk of criminals exploiting the unprecedented situation through cybercrime, fundraising for fake charities and medical scams, and emphasized the importance of financial institutions' robust Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering  Financing of Terrorism (CFT) compliance and controls.

In response to the emerging risks, UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic is continuing to support the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in the fight with the financial fraud, corruption and other money-laundering-related crimes. As part of this ongoing support, the UNODC provided high quality IT equipment amounted to over 50 thousand US $ to ensure uninterrupted work of the counterparts, with the generous financial support from the Government of the United States. 

 

Mr. Andrey Seleznev, the Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic signed an IT equipment handover document with Mr. Gulamzhan Anarbayev, Chairman of the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic (SFIS).

Mr. Gulamzhan Anarbayev highlighted the timely technical assistance rendered. The equipment will be used “not only in daily work of the Service officers but also in analytical activities aimed to effectively identify and recover the proceeds of crime in Kyrgyzstan as well as to take efficient anti-money laundering measures and to counter the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT)”.

 

“UNODC will continue to strengthen the capacity of the State Financial Intelligence Service under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic to fight money laundering and terrorist financing which contributes to global security, integrity of the financial system and sustainable growth”, emphasized Mr. Andrey Seleznev, the Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic.

In the statement "COVID-19-related Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks and Policy Response" issued on 4 May 2020 (FATF May 2020 Statement), FATF has identified how criminals and terrorists might exploit threats and vulnerabilities at a time of economic uncertainty to commit COVID-19-related crimes and fraud by way of:

- Deliberate attempts to bypass customer due diligence measures;

- Increased misuse of online financial services and virtual assets to move and conceal illicit funds;

- Misuse and misappropriation of domestic and international financial aid and emergency funding; and

- Increased use of the unregulated financial sector, creating additional opportunities for criminals to launder illicit funds.

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is the guardian of UN convention against Transnational Organized Crime, supports UN Convention against Corruption and acts in line with the Global UNODC Programme Against Money Laundering, Proceeds of Crime and Financing of Terrorism (GPML).The support is provided as part of the UNODC  Sub-Programme 1 "Combating transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking and preventing terrorism» with the financial help from the U.S. State Department Bureau of  International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

 

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by e-mail: vasilina.brazhko[at]un.org