About the FIU

Welcome to Montserrat Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

Montserrat's FIU is the national authority for the receipt and analysis of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and other information relevant to money laundering, associated offences, financing of terrorism and proliferation financing. 

The FIU is an independent government department and law enforcement agency with an independent Director, who reports to the Financial Intelligence Supervisory Board.

The Director is Carine Charlette.

The FIU discharges a number of functions defined in the Financial Intelligence Unit Act. These are:

  • Receive, Analyse and Disseminate information relating to suspected criminal property, money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing, and cybercrime;
  • Conduct inquiries for purposes of gathering information under this Act, the Proceeds of Crime Act or any other enactment;
  • Use the powers afforded under the act to conduct detailed investigation into suspicious activity, with FIU’s officers holding police powers.
  • Provide a central intelligence service to produce strategic and tactical intelligence products, focused on protecting Montserrat using the available information held by the Government.

 

Financial Intelligence Supervisory Board (FISB)

The Director of the FIU is responsible to the Montserrat Financial Intelligence Supervisory Board. The FISB is formed of:

  • the Chairperson - the Commissioner of the Financial Services Commission, who is 
  • the representative of the Attorney General;
  • the Financial Secretary;
  • the Commissioner of Police;
  • the Chief Immigration Officer;
  • the Director General of the Montserrat Customs and Revenue Services; and
  • one other member with expertise and experience in law enforcement, financial service or financial regulation, as the Governor may appoint

The FISB is the coordination agency for Financial Intelligence in Montserrat.

The FISB is responsible for:

function of the board are:

  • guiding the Director on the operation of the Unit;
  • formulating policy advice for the Government on the collection and analysis of financial intelligence;
  • advising on the risks of money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and cybercrime to the effective operation of Montserrat’s financial system;
  • providing support and advice to the Governor and the Government to ensure the Government’s compliance with standards of best practice in combatting money
    laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing and cybercrime; and
  • undertaking such responsibilities and functions as are assigned to it under the Proceeds of Crime Act or under any other enactment.

Financial Action Task Force

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog. It sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society.

FIU carries out its core functions with operational independence and autonomy, under Montserrat's legal framework, in accordance with the international standards set out by Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The FATF Recommendations set out a comprehensive and consistent framework of measures which countries should implement in order to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Countries have diverse legal, administrative and operational frameworks and different financial systems, and so cannot all take identical measures to counter these threats.

The FATF Recommendations, therefore, set an international standard, which countries should implement through measures adapted to their particular circumstances. The FATF Standards comprise the Recommendations themselves and their Interpretive Notes, together with the applicable definitions in the Glossary.

Read the latest Mutual Evaluation Report about Montserrat.

FIU Strategy

The FIU strategy will be displayed on this website upon approval by the FIU Supervisory Board.

Get Started with Financial Crime Prevention

Contact Montserrat Financial Intelligence Unit to book your place on our Financial Crime Prevention Forums. We hold regular events for organisations in Montserrat to help them identify suspicious activity and understand how to report it.