U.S. TREASURY PROVIDES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS TRAINING

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001205 SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR NEA/IPA AND EEB/ESC TREASURY FOR CORREA/PARODI/GRANT AMMAN FOR PARKER CAIRO FOR ROWE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN KTFN PINS PTER KWBG EAID SUBJECT: U.S. TREASURY PROVIDES FINANCIAL ANALYSIS TRAINING TO PA OFFICIALS IN RAMALLAH ¶1. (U) Summary: On July 6-8, 2009, at the request of Palestine Monetary Authority (PMA) Governor Jihad al-Wazir, the U.S. Treasury's Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) provided training to twenty-five PA employees with various responsibilities under the PA's 2007 Anti-Money Laundering Law. Participants in the Financial Analysis Training Course (FATC) in Ramallah included representatives of the PA,s Financial Follow-up Unit (the equivalent of a Financial Intelligence Unit or FIU),the PMA,s Bank Supervision Department, the Capital Markets Authority, Palestinian Stock Exchange, PA Customs, and the PA Attorney General,s Office. End Summary. ¶2. (U) At the request of PMA Governor al-Wazir, U.S. and Jordan-based OTA advisors traveled to Ramallah July 6-8 to provide training to Palestinians responsible for reporting and analyzing suspicious and potentially criminal financial activity. Participants in the program included auditors and supervisors from agencies responsible for spotting and reporting suspicious activity, analysts who investigate reports of suspicious financial activity, and prosecutors to whom potential cases of money laundering would be forwarded. Funding for the workshop was provided from Treasury International Affairs Technical Assistance (TIATA) funds. ¶3. (U) The three-day course focused on reports of unusual or suspicious activity or transactions (SAR/STR). The topics covered in the training included: prioritization and evaluation of SAR/STRs; analytical tools, techniques and case management; use of outside sources of information (law enforcement, FIU, commercial); use of computer software applications to present analytical findings; and strategic analysis (typologies, statistics, FIU annual reports). A mock FIU database was also provided for participants to access information for the casework in the practical exercises. ¶4. (SBU) Participants in the training were attentive to lectures and engaged in lively discussions during Q & A sessions. Side discussions included: the legal basis for information sharing under the interim agreement; whether or not the Anti-Money Laundering &law8 would be interpreted by civil courts as having the force of law in light of its passage by presidential decree in the absence of a functioning legislature; and the lack of full authority or legal infrastructure for reporting agencies to acquire data normally relied upon by an FIU, such as cross-border cash declarations. ¶5. (U) Amman Resident OTA advisor Parker and Treasury Attache held follow-up meetings with the PMA, AG,s Office, and Customs to discuss further engagement on Anti-Money Laundering issues. A second OTA-sponsored training course focusing on financial investigative techniques is scheduled for July 26-30 in Ramallah, and a course on trade-based money laundering and bulk cash smuggling is planned for the fall. WALLES