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Mauritius: A revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed today during an official ceremony between the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC) of the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the ICAC Headquarters, in Moka.
The objective is to update and upgrade the regional collaboration in combatting corruption, financial crimes, and money laundering.
Signatories were the Director-General of ICAC, Dr Navin Beekarry, and the Director of the PIAC of the AfDB, Paula Santos Da Costa.
The Executive Director of the AfDB, Gerard Pascal Bussier, and other personalities were also present at the signing ceremony.
In his address, Dr Beekarry highlighted that the revised MoU provides an opportunity for the ICAC to continue to work in collaboration with the AfDB.
He recalled that both organisations previously signed an MoU back in 2013, but due to technological advancements and other changes across the world, there was a need to update activities and other forms of collaboration that did not previously exist ten years ago.
Dr Beekarry reminded that the ICAC has always been cooperating with the AfDB at various levels. As such, he remarked, the revised MoU will also enable the ICAC and the AfDB to further engage in the fight against corruption and financial crimes.
He further seized this opportunity to emphasise that the AfDB funds several projects across the African continent, hence the need to clear all suspicions of corruption when carrying out financial transactions.
Moreover, ICAC’s Director-General underlined that the revised MoU makes provision for collaboration as far as investigations are concerned, in addition to covering the prevention aspect and the procedures which need to be reinforced.
As for Santos Da Costa, she outlined that the signing of this MoU represents the shared commitment of the two organisations to work together towards common goals and objectives. She pointed out that this partnership and the approach to fostering cooperation between anti-corruption agencies are greatly valued.
According to her, the collaboration between both agencies will now be strengthened as it is being extended to both prevention and investigation activities.
For his part, Bussier observed the new MoU is another step forward for the ICAC and the AfDB to join forces to better combat corruption and promote integrity and good governance. It will also increase the scope for better collaboration between the two institutions by enabling them to exchange best practices and work together in terms of prevention and investigation activities so as to ensure more effectiveness in the fight against corruption at international level, he added.