The National Unit for the Processing of Financial Information (CENTIF-TG), a structure whose role is to receive, analyze and process suspicious transaction reports reported by taxable persons, organized yesterday, in Lomé, a day of reflection on the contribution of non-profit organizations (NPOs) to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Reference was made to creating conditions conducive to the effective implementation of the provisions prescribed by law to prevent the use of such civil society organizations for financial crimes.

NGOs and associations, because of their role in grassroots development, may have to rub shoulders with dirty money or funds ultimately destined for terrorist activities. It is aware of this risk and in the face of terrorist threats, increasingly pressing, that the National Unit for the Processing of Financial Information (CENTIF-TG), according to Recommendation No. 8 of the FATF, has found it urgent to organize a day of reflection on the contribution of NPOs, identified as a circuit generally used by criminals, to the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Concretely, it was a question of informing NPOs of the duties assigned to them by law and of making them aware of the risks to which they expose themselves and expose the entire population. The purpose of this meeting is to involve, in a participatory process, public authorities and civil society in the search for pragmatic ways to prevent criminals from using associations and NGOs for their purposes. According to the President of CENTIF-TG, Mr. Tchaa Bignossi Aquitème, in its powers, CENTIF can only conduct investigations on the basis of statements transmitted to it by persons legally designated as taxable persons. These taxable persons are also required to organise themselves in a certain way in order to be able to detect operations and economic operators suspected of money laundering or terrorist financing. To achieve this, these subject persons need to know what money laundering and terrorist financing is, typologies, indicators in their sectors of activity and how to know that they are facing a case of suspicion, etc. Mr. Aquitème pointed out that one of the most common typologies of criminals is to donate huge sums to NPOs, gestures that can hide intentions to finance terrorism. That is why, he said, a synergy of actions is needed to benefit from resources without a calculated abuse of white-collar criminals or a few malicious individuals disguised as benevolent patrons. To do this, he recommended, it is necessary to be vigilant and know with whom one works, always record sums received and declare from a certain amount (500,000 FCFA in particular), with the CENTIF so that it makes use of it and reports to whom it is entitled.

For the occasion, the Secretary General of the Ministry of State, in charge of Economy, Finance and Development Planning, Mr. Gnaro Badawasso, explained that money laundering is harmful to the economy, as it contributes to its destabilization. Therefore, we must fight this practice with the greatest rigor. In Togo, the arsenal against this practice is quite extensive including the law, institutions such as CENTIF and everything that is done at the level of banks, which places the country among the best rated in terms of vigilance against money laundering. There is no loophole in the cooperation between the state and the banks, he noted.

It should be noted that the organization of this day of reflection was possible thanks to the support of the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA).