June 18, Colombo (LNW): The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Sri Lanka has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) for the exchange of information related to investigations and prosecutions of money laundering, bribery, corruption, and other related offences.
According to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), the new Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023, authorises CIABOC to share relevant information with local law enforcement or other government authorities.
Under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006 (FTRA), the FIU is permitted to enter into MOUs with domestic government institutions for information exchange.
This agreement with CIABOC will facilitate the sharing of information crucial for the prevention, detection, and prosecution of money laundering, bribery, corruption, and related crimes.
Since 2008, the FIU has signed 44 MOUs with foreign counterparts and 13 with domestic government agencies, including Sri Lanka Customs, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Inland Revenue Department, Department for Registration of Persons, Sri Lanka Police, and the Excise Department of Sri Lanka, to enhance the country’s AML/CFT framework.
The MOU was signed by Mr. Chethiya Goonasekera, PC, Commissioner of CIABOC, and Mr. Kanishka Wijeratne, Director General of CIABOC, along with Dr. Subhani Keerthiratne, Director of the FIU.
The signing ceremony was chaired by Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Governor of the CBSL and Chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Coordinating Committee. Mrs. K. M. A. N. Daulagala, Deputy Governor of the CBSL and member of the AML/CFT Task Force, also attended the event.
