[Seated L-R]: Natacha Marzolf, Country Representative, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); Prof. Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor, UWI; and Fayval Williams, Minister of Finance and the Public Service. [Standing L-R]: Jason Wilks, Senior Sector Specialist, IDB; HE Alicia Herbet OBE, British High Commissioner; Dennis Chung, Chief Technical Director, FID; Dr. Olivene Burke, Director, UWI Short-Term Advancement & Resource Centre; Dr. Donovan Stanberry, Campus Registrar, UWI Mona.
Titled ‘Fundamentals of Countering Financial Crime’, the short course will be offered at The UWI, Mona beginning January 6, 2026. The programme is tailored for professionals in law enforcement and the financial sector, and will cover critical areas such as:
- Elements of financial crime investigation
- Development of asset recovery strategies
- Financial intelligence analysis
- Preparation and presentation of investigation findings in court and other proceedings
This initiative emerged following a request from FID’s Chief Technical Director, Dennis Chung, as part of a coordinated national effort to strengthen professional skills and integrity in Jamaica’s anti–financial crime framework.
“For Jamaica to maintain a robust and credible financial system, we must continually deepen our pool of trained professionals who understand not only the technical aspects of financial crime investigation, but also the importance of integrity,” said Dennis Chung, Chief Technical Director, FID. “This home-grown programme allows us to build those skills here in the region, prepare the next generation of investigators and analysts, and ensure that succession planning is not left to chance.”
Vice-Chancellor of The UWI, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, welcomed the partnership, noting that safeguarding integrity in the financial system is central to economic development across the Caribbean. At the launch, he underscored that financial crime and unethical behaviour can significantly slow growth and undermine public trust in institutions.
Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Fayval Williams, endorsed the programme, highlighting the importance of maintaining Jamaica’s reputation as a jurisdiction that takes anti-money laundering (AML), combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) and proliferation financing (PF) seriously. She noted that strengthening professional competence in these areas supports Jamaica’s ongoing work with the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and helps the country maintain its progress after being removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list and the European Union blacklist in 2024.
“A strong reputation in anti-money laundering and related fields is invaluable for Jamaica’s economic prospects,” Minister Williams said. “By investing in people through programmes like this, we are strengthening our defences, supporting our upcoming CFATF evaluation and ensuring we never return to any watch list.”
The new certificate programme is the first of its kind in the region, where previously most formal certification in financial crime had to be obtained overseas. The inaugural cohort of 30 participants—including representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies—will complete the six-week course in a face-to-face format at Mona. Subsequent cohorts will benefit from distance learning delivery, allowing professionals from across the Caribbean to participate.
The initiative is being delivered with financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group and the British High Commission, reflecting strong international confidence in Jamaica’s efforts to strengthen its anti-financial crime architecture.
Chung added that the programme is also designed to address a shortage of specialised skills and ongoing integrity concerns in recruitment processes for financial crime and compliance roles. He emphasised that building a cadre of well-trained, principled professionals is key to sustaining Jamaica’s gains in asset recovery, financial intelligence and complex investigations.
How to Apply
The Fundamentals of Countering Financial Crime certificate course will be administered through The UWI, Mona. Application details and eligibility criteria are available via The UWI, Mona website and the FID’s communication channels.