Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NICOSIA712
2008-09-04 15:09:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Nicosia
Cable title:  

USG PROVIDES ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, C-T ASSISTANCE TO

Tags:  ECON EFIN KCRM ETER CY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNC #0712 2481509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041509Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY NICOSIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9121
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1213
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS NICOSIA 000712 

SIPDIS

Department for EUR/SE, INL. Treasury for IA Larry McDonald, IET
Michael Ruffner, IET Carlos Correa, and the Office of Terrorist
Financing and Financial Crimes.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN KCRM ETER CY
SUBJECT: USG PROVIDES ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, C-T ASSISTANCE TO
TURKISH CYPRIOTS

UNCLAS NICOSIA 000712

SIPDIS

Department for EUR/SE, INL. Treasury for IA Larry McDonald, IET
Michael Ruffner, IET Carlos Correa, and the Office of Terrorist
Financing and Financial Crimes.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN KCRM ETER CY
SUBJECT: USG PROVIDES ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING, C-T ASSISTANCE TO
TURKISH CYPRIOTS


1. (U) The following is a Department of Treasury-drafted message
transmitted from Embassy Nicosia.


2. (SBU) Responding to a July 2008 Embassy Nicosia request, two
advisors from the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Technical
Assistance (OTA) Financial Enforcement Team visited Nicosia August
25-29, primarily to provide Financial Investigative Techniques
training to "TRNC investigators, prosecutors and Financial
Information Unit (FIU) staff." Funding for the training came both
from the Embassy and from OTA.


3. (SBU) Topics covered during the training were: Money Laundering,
Terrorist Financing, Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing
of Terrorism (AML/CFT) laws of Cambodia (used as examples),FIUs,
Investigative Task Forces, Corruption, Sources of Financial
Information, Forensic Accounting, Evidence, International Evidence,
Money Laundering Investigative Techniques, Asset Forfeiture, Methods
of Proof, and Investigative Reports. The course included a
week-long practical exercise that was integrated with the
substantive lectures.


4. (SBU) Eighteen Turkish Cypriot authorities attended the course,
hailing from the "TRNC police", "prosecutor's office," and "FIU."
Extremely positive feedback was received from participants regarding
the course content and the applicability of the techniques to combat
money laundering and terrorist financing in northern Cyprus.


5. (SBU) The OTA trainers also held a special session for Turkish
Cypriot "judges" on AML/CFT which primarily focused on Asset
Forfeiture and evidence. Members of the "TRNC judiciary" are aware
of several gaps in current "legislation" and they believe there is
merit to implementing a non-conviction based forfeiture (Civil
forfeiture) provision in a revised "law."


6. (SBU) During the week-long training the team and Embassy
officers met with the "National AML Board" about training progress
and objectives. The "Board" expressed the serious need for, and an
enthusiastic desire to receive future technical assistance from OTA.



7. (SBU) The "TRNC"/northern Cyprus is identified as having
significant weakness in its AML/CFT regime by the International
Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF). The "Board" asked the OTA team to report its progress to
FATF. The OTA team made it clear to the "Board" that OTA, which is
part of the Office of International Affairs of the Treasury
Department, has a role to provide technical assistance to countries,
but not an AML/CFT Policy role. Rather, the Office of Terrorist
Financing and Financial Crimes (TFFC) in Treasury is the point of
contact for FATF relations and US AML/CFT policy.


8. (SBU) Near-term "next steps" planned by OTA include continuing
to engage with the Mission and the European Commission regarding
FATF ICRG areas of concern in northern Cyprus. This is based on the
lack of funding in OTA to pursue a more active program.