This resolve came at the end of an Open House Forum for Youths, with the theme; “Mobilising the Youths against Organized Crimes”, organised by the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
In a statement from the group, the forum, which targeted youths from different strata of the society, drew 160 participants from all the tertiary institutions of Sierra Leone, youth coalition groups and the media.
The forum was organised to mobilise youths against organised crime and corruption by providing a platform for them to embark on advocacy and help disseminate messages among their peers and political decision-makers.
Speaking at the forum, Director General of GIABA, Dr. Abdullahi Shehu, who was represented by GIABA’s Director of Programs and Projects, Dr. ‘Buno Nduka, highlighted the need to draft the youths into the fight against money laundering and its predicate offences, explaining that in most cases youths have been used in perpetrating crimes leading to money laundering.
According to him, “the crime of money laundering can only be committed when other crimes such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, corruption or other forms of organised crimes have been successfully carried out.” In a communiqué issued at the end of the forum, the youths resolved to assiduously become advocates of a corrupt-free society.
