By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC

In what can be described as an intensive four days training in Pretoria, South Africa from 15th -18th April, 2024, two staff of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Sierra Leone (ACC-SL) are currently participating in the Regional Peer Exchange Training on Advancing Anti-Corruption in Africa through Beneficial Ownership Transparency (BOT). 

These staff members are, the Chief Investigations Officer; Joseph B. Noah and Investigation Officer, Augusta Umu Lavalie, from the Intelligence and Investigations Department.

The program which is organized by the Open Ownership, Commonwealth Africa Anti-Corruption Centre (CAACC) and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), brings together representatives of various Anti-graft Agencies, Financial Intelligence Institutions and Corporate bodies. 

The capacity building program has as its primary goals, supporting the Implementation of BOT through advocacy, peer learning and training activities, and cultivating technical capacity of these agencies to use data in financial investigations and  further fostering a share of practical strategies between and among participating countries to address Common Challenges in the Implementation of Beneficial Ownership (BO).

Sierra Leone is amongst the six selected CAACC member countries implementing the BOT, including Botswana, Estiwani, Lesotho, Malawi and Namibia. These countries will also benefit from exchanges from advance implementing countries, share lessons on implementation and inspire progress. 

The four-day training will also delve into relevant topics notably; Financial Intelligence, Effective Tracing of Funds, Toolkit to Scrutinize Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), among others.

The ACC staff are benefiting from this important training together with three other officers of the Financial Intelligence Unit, a partner institution to the ACC and the Corporate Affairs Commission.