The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulkarim Chukkol, has warned relatives and friends of politically exposed persons on the danger of being accomplice to money laundering.
According to an EFCC statement, Chukkol spoke through the Acting Commander of the Ibadan Zonal Command, ACE I Halima Mustafa Rufa’u, at a workshop organised by the Commission for journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday, August 10.
The EFCC chairman warned that family members and friends of politicians and other political office holders risk going to jail if they allowed their companies or bank accounts to be used to launder proceeds of illegal activities.
While explaining that the Money Laundering Act 2022 has expanded the classification of PEPs, Chukkol said, “the Commission has reinvigorated the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, which is now driving the fight against money laundering and illicit financial flows among Designated Non – Financial Businesses and Professions, DNFBPs.”
He added that there is a more robust regulation of the activities of these entities which are vulnerable to money laundering.
The EFCC boss urged the media to further align itself with the progressive aspirations of Nigerians, to see that corruption is reduced to the barest minimum, if not completely eradicated.
In his remarks, the commission’s spokesperson, DCE Wilson Uwujaren commended the media for supporting the work of the Commission over the years. He urged them to always emphasize public interest above personal or pecuniary considerations in their practice.
In his presentation entitled, “Investigative Journalism and Nigeria’s Fight against Money Laundering”, ACE I Dele Oyewale, urged journalists not to be deterred from “digging deep” in the face of the current economic situation in the country.
He challenged the media to embrace investigative reporting with a view to assisting the commission in exposing cases of economic and financial crimes, including corruption.
An Assistant Director in the legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC, ACE I Larrys Peters Aso, in his presentation titled, “Understanding the New Money Laundering Laws in Relation to Activities of Designated Non – Financial Businesses and Professions”, admonished the participants to educate Nigerians through their medium, the need for compliance as regards the Money Laundering Act, 2022.
CSE Taibat Sallahdeen of the Operations Department of the Commission also made a presentation on the “New Trends in Cybercrime: How Not to Become a Victim”, where she highlighted trends in cybercrime and provided participants with useful tips to minimize exposure to threats in cyberspace.