The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) marked its 20th Anniversary just recently and with 27 Members which includes the Turks and Caicos Islands, represents diversity of ideas, cultures, and languages and of successful approaches to Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorist Financing laws and regulations.

CFATF Legal advisor, Ms. Ana Folgar said; “The CFATF pursues the objective of achieving compliance ...with an effective implementation of the FATF Standards to prevent and control money laundering and to combat the financing of terrorism.”

“In that sense, we will strive to speedily adapt the revised Standards in all our Members countries and assist them as they approach their Mutual Evaluations and the challenges of demonstrating effectiveness.”

Attorney General, Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles stated; “I wish to thank the CFATF and the newly established Financial Intelligence Agency of the Turks and Caicos Islands for partnering with me to host this 10th Compliance Conference under the theme: Keeping in step with regulatory requirements as the Standards evolve”

“The main presence here is to advance part of those preparations and of that thinking ahead. Whether you are in the public or private sector you are the most important piece of the implementation machinery.”

The 10th Compliance Conference addressed the most relevant topics in order to put them in practice at a national and private level. The new Financial Action Task Force Standards; National Risk Assessments, Customer Due Diligence, Supervision, Challenges for the TCI, trends and topics that all stakeholders in the AML/CFT industry need to be aware of, and active participation was encouraged.

ENDS

The 1^st update to the 2014 Revised Edition of the Laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands will came into force on 18^th January 2019. This 1^st update to the Revised Edition will show the law as at 31 March 2018 for those booklets affected.

The 1^st update to the Revised Edition is published in electronic form on a CD-ROM and also in printed form comprising 97 booklets of the Ordinances and Regulations of Turks and Caicos Islands. The purchase price is US$500 per set and CD-ROM. Ordinances and Regulations booklets are available for sale separately as well.

The Hon Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite Knowles, OBE expresses sincere thanks and appreciation to Ms. Myrtle Bryant OBE, Legislative Drafting Consultant, who advised on the material in this first update.

Special thanks and appreciation also to the Legislative Publisher, Ms. Yolande Dash and the Regional Law Revision Centre, who consolidated the update to the Revised Laws, offered advice on the preparation and typeset, printed the booklets and prepared the CD-ROM.

Practitioners and other persons are invited to purchase the update to the Revised Edition of the Laws by contacting Ms. Simeka Boyce, Legislative Systems Administrator on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by calling 338-3273.

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The Hon. Attorney General Rhondalee Braithwaite Knowles OBE QC confirmed today 3^rd July 2019, the arrest of Canadian Attorney Peter Karam of the law firm Karam & Missick. 

This matter is being undertaken through joint efforts and collaboration between the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (Financial Crimes Unit).

Following a provisional warrant of arrest issued by the Chief Magistrate, Tanya Lobban-Jackson on 28^th June 2019, Canadian Attorney Peter Karam was arrested and brought before the Court and subsequently released on Conditional Bail following a brief Hearing on 2^nd July 2019.  

Mr. Karam is the subject of an Extradition Request made lawfully and properly by the Republic of Argentina to the Turks and Caicos Islands in accordance with the relevant Treaty in place between the United Kingdom and Argentina, as extended to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This Extradition Request was made with the assistance of INTERPOL, who issued a Red Notice (international arrest warrant) for Peter Karam and others.  These Red Notices were published by INTERPOL on February 12, 2019.

Following his arrest, Mr. Karam will have the opportunity to consider whether he wishes to contest his extradition.  If he does not contest the extradition, and there are no other outstanding issues, then everything possible will be done by Turks and Caicos authorities, in collaboration with his legal advisers and the Argentine authorities, to ensure that he is transferred to Argentina to answer to charges connected to an alleged criminal conspiracy to launder assets obtained through criminal activity contrary to the laws of Argentina.

The terms of Karam’s bail have not been made public.  The Extradition Hearing is scheduled to be heard on 2^nd August 2019.

END