US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI584

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABU DHABI 000584 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARP - HEFFERNAN, NEA/RA -SUTPHIN, 
EB/ESC/ESP, INL/C - CASSARA, INL/ENT - NOVIS, AND 
S/CT - REALUYO 
TREASURY FOR ENFORCEMENT DAS JUAN ZARATE AND IEA 
DIRECTOR BOYLAN, ALSO FOR LONERGAN 
TREASURY PASS OCC FOR BLACKER 
TREASURY PASS OFAC FOR NEWCOMB 
JUSTICE FOR ASSET FORFEITURE AND ML UNIT -- DEPUTY 
CHIEF DAVITT, ALSO TED GREENBERG 
JUSTICE PASS OPDAT FOR SILVERWOOD 
NSC FOR GARY PETERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/06/09 
TAGS: PTER, EFIN, ETTC, PREL, PGOV, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE HOSTS SUCCESSFUL DOJ 
MONEY LAUNDERING PROSECUTORIAL TRAINING 
 
 
1.  (U) Classified by DCM Richard A. Albright for reasons 
1.5 (B) and (C). 
 
2.  (U) Summary and comment.  The UAE Ministry of Justice, 
in cooperation with the UAE Central Bank, welcomed the 
visit of a Department of Justice/Office of Prosecutorial 
Assistance and Training (OPDAT) team to conduct a seminar 
February 14-15 in Abu Dhabi and February 17-18 in Dubai on 
the investigation and prosecution of money laundering 
crimes.  The Minister of Justice and Central Bank Governor 
rolled out the red carpet for the DOJ team, and seminar 
participants were engaged and eager for nuts-and-bolts 
training on the investigation of financial crimes.  Despite 
the UAE's progress in recent years combating money 
laundering and terrorist financing, the Central Bank's 
Anti-Money Laundering Unit is not yet fully lashed up with 
UAE law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities.  The DOJ 
training was the first USG-sponsored event to bring 
together these two groups in a classroom setting.  End 
summary and comment. 
 
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Abu Dhabi Feds Welcome DOJ Training 
----------------------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) The UAE Minister of Justice Al-Dhaheri, the 
Central Bank Governor and the Ambassador welcomed the team 
at the start of the Abu Dhabi program, and more than 50 
students from the MoJ and the Central Bank's Anti-Money 
Laundering and Suspicious Cases Unit (AMLSCU) attended the 
two-day workshop.  The Governor's warm reception (including 
a day-long outing to Al Ain) and the participation of a 
number of MoJ assistant under secretaries in the training 
demonstrated the federal authorities' commitment to 
augmenting UAE anti-money laundering capabilities. 
 
4.  (C) The Central Bank Governor conceded to Econoff that 
proper coordination across the various UAE governmental 
entities is crucial for the investigation and prosecution 
of financial crimes in the UAE.  The Governor has attempted 
to use the UAE's National Anti-Money Laundering Committee, 
which he chairs, to ensure communication among all the 
relevant emirate-level departments and federal ministries, 
but admitted that interaction between working-level UAEG 
officials is lacking.  Bringing the MOJ and Central Bank 
teams together may jump-start that interaction. 
 
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Dubai Justice Department Hosts DOJ Training 
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5.  (U) On February 17 and 18 the same DOJ team gave a 
similar seminar -- on the investigation and prosecution of 
financial crimes in Dubai -- this time hosted by the Dubai 
Justice Department (DJD). Consul General welcomed the group 
of over 100 legal and judicial participants from Dubai and 
the Northern Emirates to the session, which was kicked off 
by the DJD's Deputy Director, speaking on behalf of Dubai's 
Attorney General.  The seminar highlighted teamwork and the 
importance of efficient procedures, both internal and 
international. 
 
6.  (U) The seminar received good coverage in the local 
papers; one Dubai official told the papers that the 
participants "gained insights on how to tackle money- 
laundering crimes," while another one was quoted as saying 
that "Seminars like these allow us to gain practical and 
theoretical experience from foreign judicial systems."  A 
Sharjah police official told the Gulf News that 
participants had "learned how effective it is to combat 
such crimes in a joint effort with other countries." 
 
7.  (U) This cable was coordinated with Dubai. 
 
Wahba