National Assembly to confirm FIU Director, Deputy

Jul 19, 2016 News

In relation to the appointment of a Director and Deputy Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit

Designate: Matthew Edward Hugh Langevine

(FIU) within the Anti-money Laundering and Countering the Financial of Terrorism Authority (AML/CFT), Parliament’s Committee on Appointments has submitted its recommendations.
Yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly saw Mr. Matthew Edward Hugh Langevine, presented as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and Mr. Abiose Thomas named to the position of Deputy Director.
The FIU operates in collaboration with Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance in identifying, and assisting in matters that have to do with financial crimes.
The Standing Committee on Appointments was established under the Constitution to address matters relating to the appointment of Members of Commissions in accordance to Article 119C of the Constitution and provisions of the Standing Order 84. The Committee was given additional responsibilities for appointments to bodies by several statutes enacted by the National Assembly in the 10th and 11th Parliaments.
In particular, the AML/CFT (Amendment) Act 2015, Act No.1 of 2015, gave the Committee the responsibility to select and recommend persons for appointments as the Director, Deputy Director, Attorney-at-Law and Accountant to the FIU.
The Committee’s Second Report provided a systematic breakdown on how the selection of the Director came to be.
It states that the committee met 14 times and on its ninth meeting, held on May 18, 2016; it accepted the spread sheet of applicants for the positions and the matrix of applicants’ response to being a “politically exposed person”.
It was revealed that of 17 candidates for the position, Langevine was found to be the most suitable candidate to fill the position of FIU Director following several rounds of due diligence exercises and interviews and after a background report undertaken by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) ruled out the initial candidate unsuitable for the post.
The current Legal Advisor, Abiose Thomas, was also found by the Committee to be the most suitable person to be appointed Deputy Director.
Members of the Committee on Appointments on the Government’s side includes, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes; and the Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson.
Members of the Main Parliamentary Opposition – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) that sit on the Committee includes, Members of Parliament (MPs): the Chief Whip of the PPP/C, Gail Teixeira; Bishop Juan Edghill; Clive Jagan and Ganga Persaud.