VZCZCXRO9031
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #2818/01 3311231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271231Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6958
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 10 DAKAR 002818 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INL, AF/RSA, AF/W, EB/ESC/TFS AND INR/AA 
JUSTICE FOR AFMLS, OIA AND OPDAT 
TREASURY FOR FINCEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN KCRM KTFN PTER SNAR PU
SUBJECT: 2006-2007 GUINEA-BISSAU INCSR PART II: 
FINANCIAL CRIME AND MONEY LAUNDERING 
 
REF: STATE 157136 
 
OVERVIEW 
-------- 
¶1.  This cable is Part Two of the 2006-2007 National 
Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Financial 
Crimes and Money Laundering report for Guinea-Bissau. 
Included is a narrative overview (paras 2-12).  Para 
13 contains responses keyed to the numbered questions 
beginning with Reftel paragraph 17. 
 
¶2.  Despite increased drug trafficking and the specter 
of oil production, Guinea-Bissau?s instability and 
tiny economy make it an unlikely site for major money 
laundering, except as the placement point for proceeds 
from drug payoffs, theft of foreign aid and corrupt 
diversion of oil and other state resources, headed for 
investment abroad. 
 
¶3.  Guinea-Bissau has adopted the uniform AML law and 
hopes to have an operational FIU by the end of the 
year.  Real progress, however, will be hampered if not 
entirely stalled by lack of capacity, corruption, 
instability, and distrust, particularly of the 
judicial sector.  As one banker commented, Guinea- 
Bissau is small and the judiciary is indiscreet; 
accordingly only a blatant transaction would likely 
cause the bank to incur the risk of filing a STR. 
 
¶4.  Three banks operate in Guinea-Bissau.  Western 
Union and MoneyGram are associated with the banks. 
The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), based 
in Dakar, is the Central Bank for the countries in the 
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU or 
UEMOA):  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d?Ivoire, Guinea- 
 
SIPDIS 
Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo, all of which 
use the French-backed CFA franc currency, which is 
linked to the euro.  The Commission Bancaire, 
responsible for bank inspections, is based in Abidjan. 
 
¶5.  On November 2, 2004, Guinea-Bissau became the 
third WAEMU country to enact the WAEMU Uniform Law on 
Money Laundering (the Uniform Law).  The new 
legislation largely meets international standards with 
respect to money laundering; it does not comply with 
FATF recommendations concerning politically-exposed 
persons, and lacks certain compliance provisions for 
non-financial institutions.  The law does not deal 
with terrorist financing. 
 
¶6.  On May 29, 2006, the Minister of Finance 
promulgated a decree establishing an FIU, although the 
FIU is not yet operational.  As of the date of 
writing, members had been selected, but not yet 
appointed by the President.  The FIU is expected to be 
in place by the end of the year, headquartered in the 
old BCEAO building in Bissau. 
 
¶7.  Official statistics regarding the prosecution of 
financial crimes are unavailable.  There are no known 
prosecutions of money laundering. 
 
¶8.  The penal code of Guinea-Bissau criminalizes 
terrorist financing.  However, there are no reporting 
requirements or attendant regulations.  The BCEAO is 
working on a directive against Terrorist Financing. 
The directive is expected to be presented to the WAEMU 
Council of Ministers in December 2006.  If adopted, 
the member states would be directed to enact a law 
against terrorist financing, which most likely would 
be presented as a Uniform Law in the same manner as 
the AML law.  Because, like the AML law, it is a penal 
law, each national assembly must then enact the law. 
(NOTE:  Since the uniform AML law was adopted by WAEMU 
in 2002, four of the eight member countries have 
enacted it.  END NOTE.)  In addition, the FATF-style 
regional body for the 15-member Economic Community of 
Western African States (ECOWAS), African Anti-Money 
Laundering Inter-governmental Group (GIABA) has 
drafted a uniform law, which it hopes to have enacted 
in all of its member states, not just the WAEMU 
states.  GIABA will present is draft at a conference 
November 21-23 in Niamey. 
 
¶9.  The UN 1267 Sanctions Committee consolidated list 
is circulated both by the BCEAO to commercial 
 
DAKAR 00002818  002 OF 010 
 
 
financial institutions and the Ministry of Finance. 
To date, no assets relating to terrorist entities have 
been identified.  The WAEMU Council of Ministers 
issued a directive in September 2002 requiring banks 
to freeze assets of entities designated by the 
Sanctions Committee. 
 
¶10.  Multilateral ECOWAS treaties deal with 
extradition and legal assistance.  Other bilateral 
accords are not known.  Under the Uniform Law, once 
established, the FIU may share information freely with 
other FIUs in WAEMU. 
 
¶11.  Guinea-Bissau is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, has signed but not ratified the UN 
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and 
has not signed or ratified the UN Convention against 
Corruption.  The status of the 1999 UN International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of 
Terrorism and the African Union Convention on 
Terrorism Finance is not known. 
 
¶12.  The Government of Guinea-Bissau should continue 
to work with its partners in WAEMU and ECOWAS to 
establish a comprehensive anti-money laundering and 
counter-terrorist financing regime.  Guinea-Bissau 
should fully install its FIU, and work to improve the 
training and capacity of its police and judiciary to 
combat financial crimes. 
 
RESPONSES TO SPECIFIC REFTEL QUESTIONS 
-------------------------------------- 
¶13.  The following responses are to specific Reftel 
paragraphs/questions: 
 
GENERAL QUESTIONS 
----------------- 
Question 17: Is the country (or territory or 
dependency) considered an important regional financial 
center (such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Panama, 
Switzerland, etc.)?  What is its significance in terms 
of money laundering? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau is neither a regional financial 
center, nor is money laundering thought to be 
significant.  Bissau?s banking sector is governed by 
the BCEAO, which issues the euro-pegged CFA franc 
(CFAF).  Along with the BCEAO, the ?Commission 
bancaire? is a supranational supervisory entity, based 
in Abidjan, Cote d?Ivoire, created in April 1990 to 
control and oversee financial institution operations. 
There are three banks in Guinea-Bissau, two of which 
(Banco da Uniao and Banco Regionale de Solidariedade) 
have begun operations in the last year and have 
between 6,000 and 9,000 accounts each.  The third 
bank, Banco da Africa Ocidental (BAO), began operating 
in 1999 as an investment bank and entered the retail 
market after the failure of then-other bank in Bissau, 
the Banco Internacional da Guine-Bissau, in 2002.  As 
of 2004, the BAO had approximately 7,000 accounts. 
 
Question 18: To the extent it is known, is money 
laundering/terrorist financing primarily related to 
narcotics proceeds?  (If applicable, specify drug.) 
If not, what is the major source(s) of the proceeds? 
Also to the extent known, do the criminal proceeds 
laundered in the jurisdiction derive primarily from 
domestic or foreign criminal activity?  Are the money 
laundering proceeds controlled by local drug- 
trafficking organizations, organized crime, or 
terrorist groups? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau is increasingly being used by drug 
traffickers transiting between Latin America and 
Europe.  There is no evidence that drug proceeds are 
laundered in Bissau, however, other than proceeds that 
are used to buy off local officials or procure local 
cooperation.  For example, two reputed-to-be 
Columbians were arrested in 2006 with over 600 kilos 
of cocaine.  The two were later released and 
disappeared.  It seems likely that drug proceeds were 
involved. 
 
Question 19: Is there a significant black market for 
smuggled goods in the country?  If so, do you believe 
it is significantly funded by narcotic proceeds or 
 
DAKAR 00002818  003 OF 010 
 
 
other illicit proceeds?  Does contraband smuggling 
generate funds that are laundered through the banking 
system? 
 
-- Arms smuggling is believed to be prevalent, and 
drug proceeds likely fund arms purchases. 
 
Question 20: Does money laundering/terrorist financing 
occur in the banking system, within an offshore 
financial center or free trade zone, or in the non- 
bank financial system (e.g., exchange houses) or via 
alternative remittance systems such as hawala, or all 
areas?  Is the country experiencing an increase in 
financial crimes, not limited to money laundering or 
terrorist financing, such as bank fraud and 
counterfeit currency?  Please explain. 
 
-- The banking sector demonstrated a relatively high 
awareness of money laundering risks and all banks 
reportedly had compliance programs in place.  However, 
banking officials believed Bissau to be vulnerable to 
laundering, particularly via over- and under-invoicing 
of imports.  Guinea-Bissau has no known free trade 
zones and is not linked to offshore centers.  Official 
statistics regarding prosecution of financial crimes 
are unavailable. 
 
Question 21: To the post?s knowledge, do the country?s 
financial institutions engage in currency transactions 
involving international narcotics trafficking proceeds 
that include significant amounts of United States 
currency or currency derived from illegal drug sales 
in the United States or that otherwise significantly 
affect the United States? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau appears to be a transit point between 
Latin America and Europe and does not significantly 
affect the U.S.  Bissau?s financial institutions do 
not appear to have a significant role in laundering 
drug proceeds. 
 
OFFSHORE FINANCIAL CENTERS 
-------------------------- 
Questions 22 to 24: These questions are not 
applicable, and are not reproduced, as Bissau has no 
offshore banking or other institutions. 
 
FREE TRADE ZONES 
---------------- 
Question 25: Are there free trade zones operating in 
the jurisdiction?  If so, please give the number and 
briefly describe operations, capability and function. 
 
-- Bissau has no known free trade zones. 
 
Questions 26 and 27 pertain to free trade zones and 
are not reproduced. 
 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS TO PREVENT MONEY LAUNDERING 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Question 28: Is money laundering a criminal offense in 
this country? 
 
-- Yes, in 2004, Guinea-Bissau became the third WAEMU 
country to pass WAEMU harmonized legislation 
establishing a uniform law on money laundering. 
 
Question 28 (continued): Does the law apply only to 
drug-related money laundering?  Does the country list 
specific crimes or take an all serious crimes 
approach?  Note: In some jurisdictions, anti-money 
laundering laws cover ?all serious crimes? which are 
defined as crimes that carry a threshold minimum 
sentence in the jurisdiction?s penal code.  If the 
country lists specific crimes, what offenses are 
covered?  If there is a threshold minimum, what is 
that threshold? 
 
-- Under the new legislation, the source of the 
proceeds can be any crime. 
 
Question 29: Has the country enacted secrecy laws that 
prevent disclosure of client and ownership information 
by domestic and offshore financial services companies 
to bank supervisors and law enforcement authorities? 
 
 
DAKAR 00002818  004 OF 010 
 
 
-- The uniform law on money laundering enables banking 
information to be shared with law enforcement 
authorities.  The law states:  ?Notwithstanding all 
contrary legal provisions or rules, professional 
secrecy may not be invoked . . . to refuse providing 
information to the control authorities.? 
 
QUESTION 30: Do current laws provide for the 
establishment and funding of a financial intelligence 
unit (FIU)? 
 
-- The current law provides for the establishment, 
albeit not funding, of an FIU.  A directive 
establishing an FIU was signed in May 2006, but the 
FIU has not yet begun operations. 
 
FINANCIAL SECTOR 
---------------- 
Question 31: Who supervises and examines financial 
institutions for compliance with anti-money 
laundering/counter-terrorist financing laws and 
regulations? 
 
-- The Banking Commission has the responsibility to 
supervise financial institution compliance with 
AML/CTF laws and regulations.  The Commission 
reportedly has conducted some AML compliance 
examinations; however, due to the fact that half of 
the member states have not adopted the uniform law, 
its efforts have been limited. 
 
Question 32: Are banks and other financial 
institutions required to know, record, and report the 
identity of customers engaging in significant 
transactions, including the recording of large 
currency transaction at thresholds appropriate to the 
country?s economic situation?  What is the statutory 
threshold? 
 
-- National Assembly resolution number four in 2004 
deals with money laundering.  Article 26 stipulates 
that if a bank suspects money laundering it must 
obtain a declaration of all properties and assets from 
the suspect and notify the Attorney General who is 
then required to appoint a judge to investigate. 
 
Question 33: Are banks and other financial 
institutions required to maintain for an adequate time 
records necessary to reconstruct significant 
transactions through financial institutions in order 
to be able to respond quickly to information requests 
from appropriate government authorities in narcotics- 
related or other money laundering or terrorist finance 
cases?  For how long? 
 
-- The law requires financial institutions to preserve 
records for at least ten years. 
 
Question 34: Are the money laundering controls applied 
to non-banking financial institutions, such as 
exchange houses, stock brokerages, cash couriers, 
casinos, insurance companies, etc., and to 
intermediaries, such as lawyers, accountants, or 
brokers/dealers?  Who supervises such entities for 
compliance? 
 
-- The law applies to a host of sectors, including all 
of those listed above and others.  Some entities have 
government regulatory authorities; others (such as 
attorneys and accountants) have professional 
supervisory authorities, while others have no 
effective regulator. 
 
Question 35: Do financial institutions report 
suspicious transactions?  Is such reporting mandatory 
or voluntary?  Is reporting required for all 
suspicious transaction, or is there a threshold amount 
below which suspicious transaction reports are not 
required?  Are non-bank financial institutions 
required to report such transactions? 
 
-- The law requires financial institutions to report 
suspicious transactions to the FIU; there is no 
minimum threshold.  Non-bank financial institutions 
are also required to report.  As yet, however, there 
is no FIU. 
 
DAKAR 00002818  005 OF 010 
 
 
 
Question 36: Are reporting individuals (bankers and 
others) protected by law with respect to their 
cooperation with law enforcement entities? 
 
-- Reporting individuals and their supervisors are 
accorded full civil and criminal immunity (as well as 
protection from professional sanctions) for 
information provided to the FIU in good faith. 
 
Question 37: Are there statutory requirements for 
limiting or monitoring the international 
transportation of currency and monetary instruments? 
 
-- In general, all incoming currency and monetary 
instruments must be deposited in a bank, the post 
office, or changed at an authorized foreign exchange 
bureau within 30 days.  There is no limit on the 
amount.  The entities report receipts monthly to the 
BCEAO.  Outgoing transfers must be handled by banks, 
the post office, or, in the case of cash or travel 
checks for travelers, by authorized change bureaus. 
Regulations provide a long laundry list of 
justifications for transfers; such transfers can be 
done by the financial institutions without 
authorization as long as the transferor provides 
documentation of the purpose of the transfer (and, in 
the case of the Post and change bureaus, is within a 
certain amount).  A notable exception is transfers for 
the purpose of foreign investment, which, as with any 
other purpose not on the list, must be approved by the 
Minister of Finance.  Financial institutions report 
outgoing transfers monthly to the BCEAO. 
 
Question 38: Please describe cross-border currency 
reporting requirements, including those that apply to 
cash couriers? 
 
-- On entry, non-residents must declare in writing any 
currency from outside the ?zone franc? in the amount 
of CFAF one million (approximately USD 2,000) or more, 
as well as monetary instruments denominated in cash in 
any amount.  On exit, non-residents must declare in 
writing any non-franc-zone currency above 
approximately USD 1,000 as well as all monetary 
instruments from foreign entities.  Residents are not 
required to declare currency on entry; on exit, they 
must declare in writing amounts any foreign currency 
and any monetary instruments greater than 
approximately USD 4,000.  These requirements are for 
the purpose of currency control and are not well 
enforced. 
 
FINANCIAL INTELLIGENCE UNIT/INVESTIGATION 
----------------------------------------- 
Question 39: Has the country established and 
adequately staffed a financial intelligence unit 
(FIU)?  Where in the Government is it housed; e.g., 
within the finance or national police ministry, as an 
independent agency, etc. 
 
-- By law, the FIU will be within the Ministry of 
Economy and Finance, although its staff will be drawn 
from several ministries.  The Minister of Finance 
believes that the FIU will be in place by the end of 
¶2006. 
 
Question 40: Describe the authorities and functions of 
the FIU.  Is it an administrative body that performs 
analytical duties or does it also have criminal 
investigative responsibilities?  Does it have 
regulatory responsibilities? 
 
-- According to the law and decree, a senior Ministry 
of Finance functionary will administers the FIU.  Its 
mission, among other things, is to receive and analyze 
suspicious activity declarations, and, where 
appropriate, to refer files to the Prosecutor General. 
It is an administrative-type FIU, but has the 
authority to obtain information through 
?correspondents? within police entities (as well as 
within other government entities).  It also has two 
senior police inspectors and a customs officer on 
staff.  Some of its functions could be viewed as 
investigative, but it is not clear where the limits of 
its investigative authority lie.  It does not, at 
 
DAKAR 00002818  006 OF 010 
 
 
present, have regulatory responsibilities. 
 
Question 41: Does the FIU have access to the records 
or databanks of other government entities?  Financial 
Institutions?  Does it have formal mechanisms in place 
to share information domestically or with other FIUs? 
 
-- By law, the FIU has the authority to request 
information from any government entity through its 
?correspondents? as well as from any reporting entity 
(i.e., financial and designated non-financial 
entities).  Under the uniform law, information can be 
shared freely among the FIUs in WAEMU; at present, 
however, there are only two operational FIU (Senegal 
and Niger). 
 
Question 42: How many suspicious transaction reports 
(STRs) were received in 2006?  How many were the 
subject of investigation or resulted in referrals to 
law enforcement for investigation? 
 
-- None. 
 
Question 43: Which government bodies are responsible 
for investigating financial crimes, including money 
laundering and terrorist financing?  Are they 
adequately staffed and trained to fulfill their 
responsibilities? 
 
-- Apart from the FIU, the judicial police and 
prosecutors are responsible for investigating money 
laundering and terrorist financing.  There is a small 
unit at the Attorney General?s office charged with 
investigating corruption and economic crimes. 
Capacity is low; in the words of one judicial police 
officer: ?null.?  The police cite lack of training and 
means, no collaboration with banks, and 
institutionalized corruption as impediments to 
investigations.  Both police and the public 
prosecutors office complained of corruption within 
Customs hindering the ability to get documents 
necessary for investigations. 
 
Question 44: Have there been arrests and/or 
prosecutions for money laundering or terrorist 
financing since January 1, 2006.  How many?  Please 
report highlights of any major cases not previously 
reported. 
 
-- No. 
 
Question 45: Has the jurisdiction criminalized the 
financing of terrorism as required by the United 
Nations Security Council resolution 1373?  If so, 
please provide title of act, date of enactment, and 
pertinent details.  If the jurisdiction has an ?all 
serious crimes? anti-money laundering law, please 
indicate if terrorism and terrorist financing are 
considered ?serious crimes.? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau has criminalized terrorist financing 
since October 13, 1993.  See Penal Code, Title VI, 
Article 203.  The law criminalizes, inter alia, the 
financing of terrorist groups or organizations.  These 
in turn are defined as groups of two or more persons, 
acting in concert, with the intent to harm the 
integrity or independence of the nation, to impede ? 
or subvert the functioning of constitutionally 
mandated state institutions, force a public authority 
to commit an act, refrain from or tolerate an act, or 
to intimidate certain persons, group of persons or the 
population generally through a criminal act. 
 
As happened with the uniform law against money 
laundering, the BCEAO has taken the lead in drafting a 
directive against terrorist financing, which it 
expects to present to the WAEMU Ministers? meeting for 
consideration in December 2006.  The current draft 
adopts the definition of terrorism contained in the 
1999 UN Convention, and requires financial and non- 
financial institutions to report transactions 
suspected to be related to terrorist financing to the 
FIU.  In addition, the draft contains provisions 
intended to strengthen the regulation of NGOs.  Once 
adopted by the Ministers, a Uniform law will be 
drafted and be available for adoption by the 
 
DAKAR 00002818  007 OF 010 
 
 
parliaments of member states.  GIABA has a draft 
uniform law for all ECOWAS states that will be 
discussed at a seminar in Niamey in November 2006. 
 
Question 46: Has the jurisdiction circulated to its 
financial institutions the list of individuals and 
entities that have been included on the UN 1267 
sanctions committee?s consolidated list as being 
linked to Usama bin Ladin, members of the Al Qa?ida 
organization or the Taliban, or that the USG or the EU 
have designated under relevant authorities.  If so, 
did the jurisdiction identify, freeze, seize, and/or 
forfeit related assets in 2005?  If so, please provide 
dollar amount. 
 
-- The list is circulated both by the BCEAO to 
commercial financial institutions.  To date no assets 
relating to terrorist entities have been identified. 
 
Question 47: Does the jurisdiction acknowledge the 
existence and use of indigenous alternative remittance 
systems that by-pass, in whole or part, financial 
institutions?  Describe the steps the jurisdiction has 
taken regarding regulating alternative remittance 
systems, such as hawala, black market exchanges, money 
remitters, trade-based money laundering, cross border 
cash smuggling, or the misuse of gold, precious metals 
and gems. 
 
-- In theory, unlicensed remitters and exchanges are 
illegal.  Banks acknowledge the use of over/under 
invoicing, but it is not known whether this practice 
is related to money laundering or is simply tax fraud. 
Authorities cite porous borders and cash smuggling as 
problems, in part because of reportedly rampant 
corruption in Customs. 
 
Question 48: Discuss the efforts the jurisdiction has 
taken to thwart the misuse of charitable and/or non- 
profit entities that can be used as conduits for the 
financing of terrorism? 
 
-- The current regulation of charities is not known. 
The WAEMU uniform AML law covers charitable and non- 
profit entities, which are required to file suspicious 
transaction reports.  The draft terrorist financing 
directive includes provisions to strengthen the 
supervision of NGOs. 
 
CASH SMUGGLING 
-------------- 
Question 49: Bulk cash smuggling and the use of cash 
couriers to move the proceeds of crime and terrorist 
funding are of significant concern to the USG.  Are 
there laws criminalizing smuggling cash into and out 
of the country?  If so are Customs officials aware of 
cash courier problems and capable of dealing with the 
issue? 
 
-- See Response to Question 47. 
 
Question 50: Are cash smuggling reports shared between 
host government entities (in particular with an 
existing FIU)? 
 
-- There is no FIU at present.  See Response to 
Question 47. 
 
ASSET FORFEITURE AND SEIZURE LEGISLATION 
---------------------------------------- 
Question 51: Has the country enacted laws and 
established systems for identifying, tracing, 
freezing, seizing, and forfeiting narcotics-related 
assets as well as assets derived from or intended for 
other serious crimes?  If so, please describe the 
authority (regulatory or judicial).  Are new 
legislation or changes in current laws, regulations, 
judicial or administrative authorities, being 
considered? 
 
-- The uniform AML law provides for the freezing, 
seizing, and confiscation of property by judicial 
order.  In addition, the FIU can order the suspension 
of the execution of a financial transaction for 48 
hours.  The BCEAO can also order the freezing of funds 
held by banks.  In addition, judicial authorities can 
 
DAKAR 00002818  008 OF 010 
 
 
order the seizure and confiscation of property used in 
crime; in a recent cocaine seizure case, the 
authorities seized a truck and several boats. 
 
Question 52: What are the obstacles or disincentives 
to enacting such laws, regulations, other authorities? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau is a civil law country.  As such, it 
does not have a tradition of civil forfeiture. 
 
Question 53: What are the major provisions in current 
and/or proposed legislation?  For example, what assets 
can be seized?  Do they include: instruments of crime 
such as conveyances used to transport narcotics, or 
farms on which illicit crops are grown or which are 
used to support terrorist activity, or intangible 
property such as bank accounts?  Can substitute assets 
be seized or must a relationship to the crime be 
proven? 
 
-- The uniform law allows the freezing, seizure and 
confiscation of any property, corporal or incorporeal, 
on order of the investigating judge as a conservation 
measure.  Upon conviction for money laundering or 
attempted money laundering, the law provides for 
obligatory confiscation of property that is the 
proceeds of laundering; property into which that 
property has been converted, commingled, invested or 
transformed; and any proceeds (income) derived from 
that property.  There is an exception for an owner who 
can establish that s/he was unaware of the illegal 
source of the property.  The court may also order, as 
penal sanctions, the confiscation of any property used 
or intended to be used in the offense, and the 
confiscation of other property of the convicted person 
(the latter does not appear to be ?substitute assets? 
as that term is understood in the U.S.; the provision 
does not relate the amount of licit property subject 
to confiscation to the amount laundered or put beyond 
the reach of the court). 
 
Question 54: Can legitimate businesses be seized if 
used to launder drug money, support terrorist 
activity, or are otherwise related to other criminal 
proceeds? 
 
-- The AML law provides as stated in the previous 
response.  Whether the business is involved in the 
offense, or subject to the innocent owner defense, 
would depend on the facts of the case.  A business 
that is convicted of laundering can be dissolved or 
closed.  The law has not been applied in this regard. 
 
Question 55: What government entities are responsible 
for tracing, seizing and freezing assets?  Is there a 
period of time ascribed to the action of freezing, 
after which the assets are released?  Are frozen 
assets confiscated?  If yes, by what government 
entity?  Who receives proceeds from asset seizures and 
forfeitures? 
 
-- The FIU can order a 48-hour freeze (in the form of 
a delay on the execution of a transaction).  Such 
action must be converted to a judicial order within 48 
hours or the freeze must be lifted.  As noted above, 
the investigating judge can issue orders freezing or 
seizing assets as a conservatory measure.  Confiscated 
property goes to the public treasury. 
 
Question 56: Does the banking community cooperate with 
enforcement efforts to trace funds and seize/freeze 
bank accounts? 
 
-- As far as is known, there have been no enforcement 
efforts involving banks. 
 
Question 57: Does the law allow for civil as well as 
criminal forfeiture? 
 
-- The uniform law allows explicitly for criminal 
forfeiture.  There is no provision for American-style 
civil forfeiture.  It is not clear what happens to 
property seized if no prosecution results and no owner 
is identified. 
 
Question 58: Does the Government enforce existing 
 
DAKAR 00002818  009 OF 010 
 
 
drug-related asset seizure and forfeiture laws?  Does 
the jurisdiction have adequate police powers and 
resources to trace, seize and freeze assets?  If so, 
can the jurisdiction freeze assets without undue 
delay? 
 
-- As noted above, police in a recent cocaine case had 
seized an SUV, several boats and weapons.  The 
suspects were released and it is not known what 
happened to the seized property.  The total number of 
confiscations is not known. 
 
Question 59: Does the government have an independent 
system and mechanism for freezing terrorist assets? 
 
-- National Assembly resolution number four in 2004 
deals with money laundering and it is the same 
resolution that would be used to respond to terrorist 
assets.  The government could use that authority to 
obtain a declaration of all properties and assets from 
the suspect and notify the Attorney General who is 
then required to appoint a judge to investigate. 
 
Question 60: What was the dollar amount of non- 
terrorist related assets frozen, forfeited and/or 
seized in the past year?  How does this amount compare 
to amounts seized in previous years? 
 
-- Statistics on the value of seized assets are 
unavailable. 
 
Question 61: Has the country enacted laws for the 
sharing of seized narcotics assets, as well as the 
assets from other serious crimes with other 
governments? 
 
-- The uniform law provides that the sharing of seized 
narcotics assets with other governments can be 
negotiated on a case-by-case basis. 
 
Question 62: Is the Government engaged in bilateral or 
multilateral negotiations with other governments to 
enhance asset tracing freezing and seizure? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau is required by the uniform law on 
money laundering to freely exchange information with 
the FIUs of each of the WAEMU countries, although at 
present only Senegal and Niger have a functioning FIU. 
 
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
------------------------- 
Question 63: Has the country adopted laws or 
regulations that allows for the exchange of records 
with the United States on narcotics and narcotics 
related money laundering, as well all-source money 
laundering, terrorism and terrorist financing 
investigations and proceedings?  Has the jurisdiction 
reached agreement with the United States authorities 
on a mechanism for exchange of records in connection 
with such investigations and proceedings?  If not, is 
the country negotiating in good faith with the United 
States to establish such an exchange mechanism?  Does 
the jurisdiction have similar arrangements with other 
jurisdictions? 
 
-- With respect to money laundering, the uniform AML 
law provides that the FIU may enter into cooperation 
accords with other FIUs.  The law also contains 
extensive provisions for the exchange of information 
on a judicial level.  These provisions comport with 
international standards. 
 
Question 64: Identify all treaties, agreements, or 
other mechanisms for information exchange that host 
country has entered into with the USG or other 
countries, including agreements between the FIU and 
its counterparts, and those with home country 
supervisors to facilitate the exchange of supervisory 
information regarding banks and trust companies 
operating in the host country.  Describe the status of 
efforts to update such agreements or arrangements. 
 
-- Not known. 
 
Question 65: Has the country cooperated, when 
requested, with appropriate law enforcement agencies 
 
DAKAR 00002818  010 OF 010 
 
 
of the USG and other governments investigating 
financial crimes related to narcotics, terrorism, 
terrorist financing and other crimes?  If the country 
has cooperated on important cases with USG agencies, 
please describe. 
 
Not known. 
 
Question 66: Please detail any instances of refusals 
to cooperate with foreign governments, as well as any 
action taken by the USG and any international 
organization to address such obstacles, including the 
imposition of sanctions or penalties? 
 
-- Mission is unaware of any refusals to cooperate 
with foreign governments in routine cases. 
 
Question 67: Is the country a party to the UN 
International Convention against Illicit Traffic in 
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Vienna 
Convention), the UN Convention against Transnational 
Organized Crime, and, the UN Convention against 
Corruption or other applicable agreements and 
conventions?  Does it adhere to relevant international 
money laundering standards, such as the 
recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, 
the policy directive of the EC, and the legislative 
guidelines of the OAS and/or other similar 
declarations?  If so, what steps is it taking to 
implement them?  If not, what, if any, steps are the 
country taking to become a party or implement? 
 
-- Guinea-Bissau is a party to the 1988 UN Drug 
Convention, has signed but not ratified the UN 
Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and 
has not signed or ratified the UN Convention against 
Corruption.  The status of the 1999 UN International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of 
Terrorism and the African Union Convention on 
Terrorism Finance is not known.   The uniform AML law 
largely meets the FATF recommendations for money 
laundering, and Guinea-Bissau is attempting to 
implement them through, inter alia, the installation 
of an FIU. 
 
UPDATES TO ADDITIONAL QUESTION FROM 2005 INSCR 
--------------------------------------------- - 
Question: Does the jurisdiction have the authority to 
identify, freeze, seize and/or forfeit terrorist 
finance?related assets?  If so, please describe the 
authority invoked (regulatory, legislative, judicial, 
administrative). 
 
-- Pursuant to a September 19, 2002 BCEAO directive, 
banks are required to freeze assets of UN-designated 
terrorists and terrorist entities.  There are no 
provisions for seizing and/or forfeiting terrorist 
financing-related assets.  These provisions are 
contained in the draft BCEAO directive. 
 
Jacobs