LEGAL Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall yesterday questioned whether or not the political Opposition has a vested interest in protecting money launderers and terrorists, or if they simply want Guyana to be blacklisted so that the business sector and economy would suffer.
“It must be one of the two or both,” Nandlall remarked while speaking in the context of the Anti-money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill (AML/CFT).
He was speaking at a People’s

Progressive Party press briefing at Freedom House, Robb Street, in the presence of Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, Minister within the Ministry of Local Government Norman Whittaker and Executive Secretary Zulficar Mustapha.
Nandlall, who is also Attorney General, said the PPP continues to view with deep concern the cavalier position of the Opposition in respect of the bill, which is still stuck in a Select Committee as a result of the dilatory tactics and non-support of the Opposition.

Non-compliant jurisdictions
As a result, Guyana has violated every time-frame prescribed by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF). Currently, the country stands most likely to be placed on a list of non-compliant jurisdictions at the November meeting of CFATF in The Bahamas.
“Should that occur, the ramifications for our commercial sector and our image as an investment and tourist destination, are indeed as far reaching, as they are profound. In the end, every single Guyanese would be affected.
“Yet, the Opposition continues to make utterances which tend to suggest that they do not consider this as a matter of importance and urgency. Indeed, no other than the Leader of the Opposition was reported as saying that he is unconcerned about the deadlines fixed.
“According to him, the APNU’s priority is for Guyana to have a good Bill. It is either that the Leader of the Opposition does not understand the issues or does not care to understand the issues, and therefore wants Guyana to be blacklisted.”
Nandlall reminded that the recommendations which CFATF has made for Guyana to implement are time bound. “So, we can produce the best Bill in the world in the next year or so, but we would have already been blacklisted. It takes a country approximately five to seven years to be taken off such a list.
“In any event, the Opposition members do not attend the meeting of the Select Committee, so it is difficult to understand from where this Bill, to which the Opposition leader refers, will come. Maybe he is bringing one from Congress Place. I do not know.”
The minister observed that this bill has nothing to do with the Home Affairs Minister and hence the Opposition has no excuse for not supporting it.
“We say to the Opposition loud and clear, stop the double standards. Join us on this side of the divide as we stand with the law abiding citizens and the law enforcement agencies to battle the criminals in the interest and safety of our country and our people.”