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ABA ROLI and the Argentinian Financial Intelligence Unit and Public Prosecutors Office Collaborate to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing

ABA ROLI and the Argentinian Financial Intelligence Unit and Public Prosecutors Office Collaborate to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
Left to right: Juan Cassanello ABA ROLI; Josh Temblador, US Embassy; Ignacio Yacobucci, UIF President; and Diego Velasco, MPF-PROCELAC. (Gentileza UIF Argentina)

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Buenos Aires, September 10, 2024 – The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), the Argentinian Financial Intelligence Unit (Spanish, Unidad de Información Financiera – UIF) and the Public Prosecutor's Office (Spanish, Ministerio Público Fiscal – MPF) hosted a workshop on the Access, Treatment, and Use of Financial Intelligence to Combat Money Laundering (ML) and Terrorism Financing (TF). The event was supported by ABA ROLI’s regional program, Countering Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism in South America funded by US Department of State Bureau of Counterterrorism.

Held on September 10, 2024, the in-person workshop took place at UIF’s national headquarters in Argentina and brought together agents from UIF's Analysis, Criminal Litigation, and International Coordination departments, along with personnel and authorities from the MPF.

Workshop participants (Gentileza UIF Argentina)

Workshop participants (Gentileza UIF Argentina)

The workshop was inaugurated by Ignacio Yacobucci, President of UIF; Diego Velasco, Head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Crime and Money Laundering (Spanish, Procuraduría de Criminalidad Económica y Lavado de Activos – PROCELAC); Josh Temblador, Political Counselor of the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires; and Juan Cassanello, ABA ROLI representative. The workshop training is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between UIF and the Public Prosecutor's Office in line with global best practices and legal standards in the fight against ML/TF.

Left to right: Diego Velasco PROCELAC MPF; Ignacio Yacubucci UIF; Johs Temblador, US Embassy; and Juan Cassanello, ABA ROLI. (Gentileza UIF Argentina)

Left to right: Diego Velasco PROCELAC MPF; Ignacio Yacubucci UIF; Johs Temblador, US Embassy; and Juan Cassanello, ABA ROLI. (Gentileza UIF Argentina)

The day featured two comprehensive sessions:

Session 1: The first session focused on enhancing the understanding and application of financial intelligence in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing. Participants delved into the legal and regulatory framework, including national laws, international guidelines, and recommendations from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Attendees, including analysts, and prosecutors, were trained on how to effectively analyze and manage complex financial data, understanding when and how financial intelligence units (FIUs) should request specific information. The session also emphasized the efficient use of tools and cooperation mechanisms, particularly at the international level, for information gathering.

Session 2: The second session focused on the content, safeguarding, and use of intelligence reports within judicial settings, including their validity. Participants were instructed on the mechanisms the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) should follow to obtain evidence based on information from these reports. The session addressed both national and international procedures, emphasizing the requirements for international cooperation when intelligent information is obtained through cooperative agencies. Additionally, the session covered the importance of protecting the FIU’s sources and analysts to safeguard the overall information-gathering system, including the inability to testify in court.