On October 7 and 8, the State Police, in cooperation with the United States Embassy in Latvia, is organizing international symposium and workshop on money laundering. This symposium convenes law enforcement, prosecutors and judges to better understand current trends and practical approaches in the investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of money laundering.
At the opening of the event, the minister for the interior Marija Golubeva noted the achievements of the home affairs sector in recent years in the fight against this crime. The minister approvingly assessed the work on risk assessment of the The Financial Intelligence Unit of Latvia, as well as outlined future plans related to the establishment of a financial literacy and training center.
“This week the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists brought to light the so-called Pandora Papers investigation. It is clear that tax heavens and offshore operations must be monitored more closely to fight corruption, money laundering and inequality. In 2019, Latvia itself realized the need to accelerate financial reforms and stricter controls to prevent money laundering. I am glad to say that since then, we have come a long way. A lot has been done to strengthen our regulations and move forward. The penalty for money laundering crimes has to be proportionate to their gravity. I would like to stress the need for cooperation in order to successfully fight money laundering. Prevention starts with the responsibility of banks to establish strong internal control systems and to report suspicious transactions. If money laundering cases happen, an important role is played by Law Enforcement Institutions, prosecutors and judges. This puts trainings and knowledge sharing at the centre of this issue,” stressed the minister for the interior Marija Golubeva.