Motion on anti-laundering authority members deferred by one vote

The government finally acknowledged in Parliament on Thursday that the Caribbean watchdog has said that a key part of the anti-money laundering framework is unacceptable and this sparked heated exchanges with the PPP/C that culminated in the APNU+AFC benches securing the deferral of a related motion by one vote.

What will be seen as an embarrassing about-turn by the government had its genesis in a November meeting last year in Georgetown by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) when Attorney General Basil Williams was told that the planned Anti-Money Laundering Authority would be illegal and should not be proceeded with. While Williams had later been reported as saying that the authority would be scrapped, other members of government appeared to be at sea as to what was happening. Both the Chairman of the parliamentary Appointments Committee, Dr George Norton, and Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said subsequent to Williams’ reported statement that the authority would be going ahead.