IGP suggests database at Interpol to monitor financial fraudsters

The Ghana Police Service will support the establishment of a database at Interpol, Ghana to enable law enforcement agencies, banking and financial institutions to monitor the negative activities of money launderers and financial fraudsters, Mr. Ernest Owusu-Poku, Acting Inspector-General of Police, said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the close of the three-day first African regional meeting on co-operation between law enforcement agencies and banking and financial institutions in Accra, Mr Owusu-Poku said the fraudsters are currently having a field day because of the secrecy in the banking sector.

"This meeting is proof of the search to minimize, if not to eradicate, all types of financial crimes in our banking and financial institutions not only in Ghana but all over the world, especially in Africa," he said.

Participants from over 20 countries on the continent attended the meeting, organised by the committee for Co-operation between Law Enforcement Agencies and Banking Communities/Interpol Ghana and Interpol General Secretariat, Lyons, France.

The meeting explored areas of fraud in financial institutions and the need for exchange of information with law enforcement agencies, activities of banks and forex bureaux in relation to money laundering and problems that inhibit the exchange of information between the banks and financial institutions.

It also looked at areas in which African countries could further collaborate to help curb commercial and financial crimes.

Mr Owusu-Poku said the Police Administration would sponsor the training of personnel who investigate such technical crimes and recruit experts in such areas to decisively deal with the crime.

He suggested to the banking and financial institutions to allot slots on their training programmes to staff of the Police service to further enhance the co-operation both at local and at the international level.

Mr Adamu A. Mohammed, Specialised Officer, Economic and Financial Crime Sub-Directorate, said the Interpol Secretariat stressed co-operation with the private sector to enable Interpol to draw expertise from diverse sectors of the economy.

He emphasised the need for collaboration in effectively fighting against commercial crimes saying, "we cannot do it without other continents"

Mr Adamu said Interpol has a central database for crime analysis that enables it to track down criminals from all over the world.