Liberia: Giaba Director Urges Journalists to Strengthen Coverage On Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing

25 September 2025
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Selma Lomax |

Bissau — Bissau - The Director General of the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Dr. Edwin Harris Jr., has called on journalists across West Africa to enhance their reporting on money laundering and terrorist financing, warning that weak and inaccurate coverage undermines efforts to combat economic crimes in the region.

Speaking at the opening of a three-day Regional Training on Investigative Journalism in Economic and Financial Crimes in Bissau, Dr. Harris criticized what he described as poor coverage of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) issues, including a lack of due diligence and, in some cases, misinformation.

"The fight against the darkness of money laundering will only be won through the powerful beacon of light that journalists represent," Dr. Harris said. "The media, particularly investigative journalists, are our strategic allies in building a transparent, safer, and more prosperous West Africa."

Guinea-Bissau's Minister of Social Communication, Maria Conceição Evória, echoed his sentiments, stressing that investigative reporting is an "ethical commitment that attacks what is untouchable."

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She noted that meaningful journalism in this area requires both courage and financial support, especially in today's overwhelming information environment. "To make sense of the complex mechanisms of money laundering and corruption, journalists must remain clear-headed, educational, and courageous," Evória said.

Also speaking at the event, Justino Sá, President of Guinea-Bissau's National Financial Information Processing Unit (CENTIF), emphasized that the responsibility to tackle money laundering cannot rest solely on governments and regulators.

"In an interconnected world where illicit financial flows circulate freely and weaken our economies, journalists must show courage and quality in uncovering the networks behind AML/CFT," he said.

Representing the Ministry of Finance, Secretary of State for the Treasury Mamadou Baldé highlighted the importance of equipping journalists with tools for ethical and responsible reporting. "This training aims to help defend the threatened fundamental rights of our people from corruption, terrorism, and drug trafficking," Baldé noted.

The training, organized by GIABA, brings together 40 journalists from across the ECOWAS region. It features prominent facilitators, including Ivorian journalist Lassine Fofana, Nigerian academic Abigail Odozi Ogwezzy-Ndisika, senior GIABA officer Timothy Melaye, and former Director of the Judicial Police in Guinea-Bissau, magistrate Hermenegildo Pereira.

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