Head of the Special Organized Crime Unit, (SOCU),China Jerseys, Sydney James, has expressed optimism that the state will secure more convictions under the recently implemented Anti-Money Laundering Legislation. Assistant Commissioner James pointed to a recent conviction for the non-declaration of currency.SOCU Head:?Sydney James“There was a court matter over the non-declaration of currencies. I think in that case, the magistrate had awarded that the money be confiscated. We anticipate further successes in conviction for such crimes,” he said.At present, the SOCU Head said that the unit is managing a number of investigations of Financial Intelligence Crimes.These include, several gold and diamond smuggling investigations,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China, investigations into NICIL, the Guyana Marketing Corporation,NFL Jerseys Outlet, (GMC), the 2007 World Cup Cricket probe and the Pradoville 2 land acquisition. Some of the investigations have resulted in persons being charged and placed before the court.But the SOCU head still feels that there is need for more sensitization as it relates to combating money laundering activities.He therefore shares the view that further training should be offered to Magistrate, Prosecutors, Judges and officials of the Legal Affairs Ministry on the topic.“There is need for more sensitization as it relates to combating money laundering activities for the entire regime, in general. I think that once there is sensitization, there will be greater convictions,” James opined.Having exited the watch list of the global Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism compliance process of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), earlier this year, Guyana must now produce more convictions to show sufficient progress on effectiveness.After returning from his visit to Paris,Jerseys From China, Attorney-General, (AG) Basil Williams noted, “Guyana cannot be complacent as the fourth round mutual evaluation beckons. The test there is whether Guyana would have shown “sufficient progress on effectiveness, for example having more convictions for offences of money laundering, terrorist financing and the purloining of state assets.”Asked how equipped is the government to go after persons suspected of money laundering based on the new development,Cheap Jerseys From China, Williams said that the first Anti-money laundering legislation was passed in 2000 but no one was ever investigated or charged.”Between 2000 and the time we took office no one was ever prosecuted for any money laundering offence in Guyana. It is only when we took office that people were not just investigated but they were also charged and taken to court.”The administration came to office in May 11, 2015.Williams said that a lot of those cases have not resulted in convictions. He said that in some situations money as well as gold bars were returned to the person being prosecuted. However, he explained that this will not be sufficient in the fourth round.”In the fourth round, we will have to show effectiveness and that we are making sufficient progress,Wholesale Jerseys Online, in other words, convictions. We can’t tell them we charged 100 people and we don’t have convictions.”He said that Guyana needs to do work in this regard because if initial investigation is done and this area is missing, the country can return to the ICRG review process. He stressed that what is important hereinafter is a large degree of self-assessment.”We have to start ensuring that all of these legal framework and regulatory framework are effectively addressed in the fourth round. By the time 2020 we must be able to show regular convictions for money laundering offences.”The AG said that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has been doing a lot of work. He said that the matter of state assets has been added to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism process.