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By Samuel Asamoah
The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will later this month host a regional training workshop for journalists on investigating economic and financial crimes in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.
The three-day event, scheduled for September 22–24, will gather 40 journalists from across the 15 ECOWAS member states. Participants, drawn from print, electronic, and online media, are expected to sharpen their skills in investigative reporting with a focus on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT).
Organizers say the workshop seeks to build a strong partnership between the media and GIABA, ensuring wider and more effective dissemination of information on AML/CFT issues. It also aims to encourage journalists to pursue in-depth investigations into money laundering and terrorist financing activities within their countries.
“Journalists are key players in the fight against economic and financial crimes. They determine whether stories on money laundering and terrorist financing are given prominence or ignored. This training will empower them to take a more active role in exposing corrupt practices,” GIABA stated.
The program will feature plenary sessions, case studies, group exercises, and role plays led by AML/CFT experts and practitioners. It follows earlier efforts by GIABA to engage the media, including the creation of the Regional Network of Journalists on Economic and Financial Crimes in 2010 in Sierra Leone.
GIABA stressed that expanding the fight against financial crimes beyond law enforcement agencies to include the media is vital for regional stability, transparency, and accountability.
Timothy Melaye, Acting Principal Officer for Communication and Advocacy at GIABA, confirmed the initiative and underscored its relevance in equipping the press to serve as an effective watchdog against money laundering and terrorist financing across West Africa.
