Left to right: Yehuda Shaffer, Prof Edward Scicluna, Marcel Cassar and Dr Manfred Galdes

The action being taken following the publication of the recent MONEYVAL report on Malta, together with effective de-risking, correspondent relationships and terrorism financing will be the focus on a full-day conference jointly organised by ARQ Group and the Malta Bankers’ Association (MBA). 

The Anti-Money Laundering (AML) & Financial Crime Conference, which will be held on Thursday 13^th February 2020 between 8.30hrs and 17.30hrs at the Westin Dragonara in St Julian’s, will focus on the latest developments in the fight against financial crime, in particular AML and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The event will feature keynote contributions from the Vice-Chair of MONEYVAL, Richard Walker, amongst others. 

Marcel Cassar, Chairman of the MBA, said that the fight against financial crime requires the co-ordinated effort of all stakeholders.

“The importance of a good reputation of any jurisdiction cannot be emphasised enough. As an association representing banks operating in Malta, we believe the banking sector plays a crucial role in the fight against financial crime. Needless to say, players such as regulators, authorities and other stakeholders in the financial sector have an important role in this regard. This conference will bring all of these stakeholders under one roof for what promises to be a great thought-leadership event,” said Marcel Cassar.

Dr Manfred Galdes, ARQ Managing Partner said: “Combating money laundering & terrorist financing are key strategic priorities for the jurisdiction. ARQ is collaborating with the MBA to support the establishment of a regulatory environment that fosters positive growth in Malta. This will be the definitive conference to this end, with talks and interactive panel discussions by renowned international experts and policy makers.”

“We are excited to have confirmed participation from the Minister of Finance and the Deputy Chair of MONEYVAL, as well as the founder and former head of the Israeli FIU who will deliver a presentation on terrorism financing,” he added.  

In fact, speakers during the event include Yehuda Shaffer, an international AML/ CFT expert; the aforementioned Vice-Chair of MONEYVAL, Richard Walker; Prof Edward Scicluna, Minister for Finance and Financial Services; Marcel Cassar, Chairman MBA; Dr Manfred Galdes, Managing Partner at ARQ Group, and many others.

The conference will feature a number of panel discussions covering MONEYVAL’s 5^th round of evaluation of Malta, correspondent banking relationships, regulatory updates, and the practical challenges being faced by Designated Non-Financial Business or Profession (DNFBPs).

The MBA and ARQ look forward to welcoming all regulatory and risk professionals in the financial, gaming, legal and other relevant sectors to this event.

The event is sponsored by AML Analytics, ComplyRadar and Infocredit Group.

For further information and to register for the conference kindly contact events@arqgroup.com