In terms of the provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, No. 6 of 2006 (FTRA), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Sri Lanka entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sri Lanka Police on December 13, at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to share information, intelligence in order to facilitate investigations and prosecutions on money laundering, terrorist financing and other related offences.

Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara and Dr. H. Amarathunga, Director,FIU signed the MoU on behalf of the respective institutions in the presence of Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, who is also the Chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Coordinating Committee.

Money laundering and terrorist financing are internationally connected financial crimes which could threaten the stability of domestic as well as global economic and financial systems. The MOU would enable sharing intelligence and information which is vital for prevention, detection and prosecution of such offences.

The FIU has already entered into similar MOUs with Sri Lanka Customs, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Department of Inland Revenue and Department for Registration of Persons while arrangements are being made to sign MOUs with several other relevant domestic government agencies for the above purpose soon.