The newly inducted Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), Mr. Stanley S. Ford, has taken the mantle of authority at FIA-Liberia and stressed to uphold integrity, professionalism, commitment, teamwork, and other distinguished values to make the FIA more vibrant in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities.
Speaking after his official induction on Thursday, October 27, 2022, at the FIA’s headquarters in Monrovia, Mr. Ford elaborated that interagency collaboration and broad-based consultation are strategies his administration will adopt and utilize to sustain the gains the agency has made and add more tangible achievements.
According to him, preventive and enforcement measures of relevant AML/CFT legal frameworks will be applied, where necessary for the protection of Liberia’s financial system against launderers and enablers of proceed of crimes, financing terrorists, and proliferation.
Mr. Ford reassures Liberia’s commitment to continued collaboration with the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA)- a FATF-Styled Regional Body on the prevention and fight against money laundering and financing of terrorists.
He also mentioned that AML/CFT Sectoral risk assessment will be conducted to identify and understand the risks appertaining thereto as well as provide necessary training and awareness to stakeholders on how to apply the risk-based approach to mitigating identified risks.
The former immediate Deputy Managing Director for Administration of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), lauded the former Director General of FIU now transitioned to FIA for the professional work exhibited that has helped to maintain the image and prestige of the agency.
Also speaking, Liberia’s Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean who is the chairperson of the Inter-ministerial Steering Committee on Anti-Money Laundering, Countering Financing of Terrorists and Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT), promised to work with Mr. Stanley Ford’s administration to make the FIA more functional and robust in the discharge of its duties.
According to him, there have been major policy reforms at the Financial Intelligence Unit now transitioned to the Financial Intelligence Agency to put the integrity institution on the rightful trajectory and to enable FIA to operate in line with international standards.
For his part, Mr. Emmanuel Togar Gee, former Officer in Charge of FIA and now Director of Administration and Finance, welcomed Mr. Ford to the agency and promised to collectively work with him in maintaining FIA’s principles.
According to him, he is hopeful that Mr. Ford’s enviable administrative background will meaningfully add extraordinary prestige to the Financial Intelligence Agency of Liberia.
Remarking, Cllr. Sylvester Rennie, president of the Liberia National Bar Association, mentioned that the FIA’s new Director General is professional and will work closely with the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), major competent authorities in Liberia and other global institutions to make FIA workable.
Meanwhile, several personalities from the public and private sectors attended the induction ceremony of the new FIA’s Director General notably, the Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), Marie Urey Coleman, and senior staff members of LPRC, the most recent place of work of Mr. Stanley S. Ford.