Judges of the Supreme and National Court of Papua New Guinea recently attended a one week Anti-money laundering workshop in Port Moresby.
The workshop was hosted from July 12- 15th July by the Pacific Centre for Judicial Excellence and co-sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The participants include Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea Sir Gibbs Salika, Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, Deputy Chief Justice of Solomon Islands Rex Faukona including Judges from the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
The Chief Justice, when opening the workshop, said the judicial training adds value to judges in their daily work, adding that PNG is assessed against the global standards of anti-money laundering.
“Our standing as a country when we are evaluated against international standards and best practices is imperative for continued foreign direct investment and economic growth and development.
“Money laundering is a crime and those who attempt to legitimize this illegal activity undermine the integrity of the financial system.
“It may be that many in the public are not aware of this crime and there is a need for an awareness campaign to educate our society,” he added.
The facilitators of the workshop include Judge Michael Hopmeier and Justice Teresa Berrigan.
Judge Hopmeier is a Circuit Judge sitting on Southwark Crown Court, London, United Kingdom. He specializes in serious economic crime and asset recovery cases. Justice Berrigan is Judge Administrator of Fraud and Corruption Track of the National Court of Justice in Waigani.