Press release

Mauritainian-American Training Session on Money Laundering Opens

Ambassador Mark M. Boulware chaired the opening session of a five-day joint  American-Mauritainian training seminar on money laundering.  Money laundering is the term used to describe the passage of funds generated by  fraud, drug trafficking, racketeering, robbery, and other crimes through seemingly legal processes and enterprises to hide their criminal origens.  Money laundering costs governments billions of dollars per year through lost tax and customs revenues.  Honest individuals and private institutions are affected as well through fraudulent investments and projects.

The Mauritainian and American governments are concerned with these losses and continue to work to limit the ability of criminals to use otherwise open channels to move their funds.  The seminar will review various modern techniques to counter global and regional money laundering.   More than thirty-five members of Mauritainian institutions including the Gendarmerie, the Police, the and Customs Service will participate in the program.  Members of the American Customs Service from the American Embassy in Paris will work with the Mauritainian Services to develop counter laundering procedures suitable to the region.

"It is, said the Ambassador in his opening remarks, absolutely essential to protect the free movement of people, goods, and funds, in order to assure the ultimate security  and prosperity of the Mauritainian people and their neighbors".  The seminar will close on February 28th.

 

Nouakchott, February 25, 2008