Leading Anti-Money Laundering Association Expands Global Conference Calendar to African Continent

JOHANNESBURG, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- ACAMS, Local Chapter Announce Inaugural AML/CTF Conference in Johannesburg

The Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) in conjunction with its local South African Chapter are set to host several hundred anti-money laundering (AML) compliance professionals from both the private sector and government in Johannesburg, 2-4 November, for a flagship conference.

"For many countries in Africa, there is a great need to demonstrate that stringent preventative measures are in place to prohibit the proceeds of crime from entering into the legitimate financial systems of the region," said John Byrne, executive vice president of ACAMS.

"Africa's complex money laundering and terrorist financing challenges require a multi-pronged approach of education, networking and cooperation," said Byrne. "We feel an annual conference featuring leading international AML/CTF authorities is the perfect medium to provide solutions to these challenges."

The conference will kick off with a special keynote address by Murray Michell, Director, Financial Intelligence Centre, South Africa, and will offer two full days of intensive training covering key regional and international regulatory developments, the complexities of global sanctions requirements and the latest financial crime trends and typologies affecting the African continent's ever-expanding financial system.

Renowned international and local speakers from both the government and private sectors will offer guidance on overcoming the region's unique challenges including combating money laundering in a cash-based economy, meeting multi-jurisdictional requirements and mitigating money laundering risks of alternative remittance and emerging payment systems. Featured speakers include top executives representing Standard Chartered Bank, Nedbank, Bank of Namibia, Financial Intelligence Unit of Malawi, Uganda's Inspector General's Office, GIABA and the World Bank.

"A collaboration between ACAMS and the South Africa Chapter is the perfect way to provide comprehensive training as well as a fresh perspective on the most recent trends in AML," said Roy Melnick, co-chair of the ACAMS South Africa Chapter. "It goes along perfectly with our mission of advancing the knowledge of local specialists while providing a vehicle through which they can network and improve their overall level of AML/CFT understanding and effectiveness."

For more information and to register, visit http://www.amlafrica.org.

Press Inquiries
Members of the press may contact Kourtney McCarty-Llopis at kmccarty@acams.org or +1-786-871-3109.

About ACAMS

Founded in 2001, the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists® (ACAMS®) is an international membership and certification organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of anti-money laundering professionals around the globe. Representing 11,000 members from the private and public sectors in more than 160 countries, ACAMS is proud to be the worldwide leader in AML/CTF training, education and networking. Visit http://www.ACAMS.org for more information.