The
daylong forum on money laundering and terrorism financing held yesterday in
Gambia by the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West
Africa (GIABA) targeted the right segment of the society, the youth.
The
full and active participation of youth in the fight against the twin crime of
money laundering and terrorist financing (ML and TF) is almost indispensable.
This
is so because most of the criminal acts of money laundering such as drug
trafficking, prostitution, kidnapping, advance fee fraud (419), currency counterfeiting
and migrant smuggling are mainly perpetrated by those in their youthful ages.
In
addition, they are highly susceptible and vulnerable to money laundering crimes
as highlighted by the director general of GIABA.
To
corroborate that, the Gambia’s Minister of Justice has also pointed out that
Gambian youths are “increasingly becoming vulnerable” to the commission of
transnational crimes of money laundering.
These
make it all the more important to engage the youth in the fight against money
laundering to make them know its consequences on the society and the economy of
the nation as well as make them know their responsibility to join in the
all-out-war in combating the menace.
The
youths are a critical segment of the population that a country cannot afford to
neglect in the fight against ML and TF.
They
deserve particular attention as they are increasingly becoming vulnerable to
the commission of transnational crimes and as such there is the need to prevent
them from falling prey.
Therefore,
GIABA’s open house forum for youth is a commendable initiative in improving the
capacities of the future leaders to better position them in championing the
fight against ML and TF.
The
youth themselves must now take the baton and lead in the fight against money laundering
to prevent it from discouraging their innovativeness and productivity.
Imagine,
for instance, where a school dropout or any youth for that matter should
involve in illicit drug trafficking, a money laundering offence, making as much
money within one month than the combined annual salary of three senior civil
servants in the country.
When
other youths see this drug trafficker living large, they will, without doubt,
be tempted to stop whatever education or other legal enterprise they are involved
in to venture into drug trafficking to make quick fat money. This damages the
youth themselves first before destroying the social fabric of the society.
Therefore,
the youth owe it to themselves, first and foremost, to not allow themselves to
continue to be vulnerable to money laundering but to be vanguard in combating
its scourges, so as to lead a more fruitful and ensure a safe and steady growth
of the national economy.
“Whoever
is detected in a shameful fraud is ever after not believed even if they speak
the truth. ”
Phaedrus
