When His Excellency the President, Brig. (Rtd) Julius Maada Bio appointed Mr. David N. Borbor as the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit then in 2020, close associates said the forty-five years old Fourah Bay College trained Economist did shed tears profusely. At that moment, some said it was tears of joy. However, he later confessed that his mind was going through the daunting tasks ahead of him. The task of leading the charge against money laundering and terrorist financing and financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in a country with very little knowledge on the subject. A daunting task indeed. However, his appointment never came as a surprise as he is, arguably, the most experienced AML/CFT/PF expert in the country. The doyen of AML/CFT/PF accepted the appointment with a promise and firm conviction that he will reposition the institution and make it proud among its pairs on the global stage. Since then, he has done nothing short of.
Being one of the founding and now the longest serving member of the institution, David’s contribution to the growth of the Financial Intelligence Agency and by extension the effort to cleanse the financial system of our country dates as far back as 2006, when the idea of AML/CFT was a mere division at the central bank of Sierra Leone. He has seen it all, he has been part of it all and as an active member not as a spectator, though.
His leadership has witnessed tremendous growth and diversification of the institution and the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Before David Borbor’s appointment, the Financial Intelligence Agency was only known and seen in the capital, Freetown. When he took up office, his first task was to deploy staff members in every regional headquarter town of Sierra Leone. The FIA can now boast of staff members in Port Loko, at Gbalamuya border crossing point, Makeni, Lungi (at the Freetown International Airport), Bo, and Kenema. In addition, there are staff members stationed at the Sea Coach Office to effect foreign currency declaration.
When the Mutual Evaluation report was out, key areas were highlighted as deficiencies in our legal framework. The institution was virtually pruned, powerless and in contention on many issues with other institutions. The make-up or organogram then was at odd with aspirations of joining the global platform, Egmont. An overhaul of the legal instrument that guides the day-to-day operation of the institution was needed. David championed and commandeered the review and repeal process of the 2012 AMCL/CFT Act. Every stakeholder institution and individual in the AML/CFT regime was duly consulted and their inputs taken. This process was followed by a national validation workshop. As a consultative leader, David has melted all rifts that existed between the FIA and other institutions. As the national coordinator of the AML/CFT/PF fight, David understands that cooperation is the key. On that note, he has officially entered into agreements with a significant number of stakeholder institutions.
To fast-track investigation of issues, David has entered memorandum with many key institutions like the Sierra Leone Police, the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Sierra Leone Insurance Commission, the National Civil Registration Authority, to name but few. This has created the camaraderie between the Agency and these institutions. David has also bridged the gap between the Agency and the public. He has created a platform for the Agency to frequently engage with the public through media publicity and engagements. The Agency has printed flyers to combat fake dollars, ran jingles on ponzi schemes and conducted general street-to-street campaigns. Messages of ML/TF/PF are put out in local parlance to help even the most mundane understands.
What David Borbor has done for not only the FIA but the financial system of Sierra Leone can never be hug washed by some misguided elements in the media. The tremendous effort of David Borbor has seen the regional body, GIABA organized media workshops for Sierra Leonean pressmen to help infuse them into the fight against ML/TF/PF. Now you see why is it so difficult to bring this man down? He has sacrificed a lot just to reposition the Agency.
To help crown it all, David Borbor has brought home the GIABA plenary after fifteen years. The respect this man has in the international corridors is so massive. He is hosting more than one hundred and fifty international experts this November. This will not only reposition the Agency, but gives more confidence to international investors to come to Sierra Leone and invest. Sierra Leone is in the process of becoming a member of the Egmont group of FIUs. The effort of this man to help his country, help his boss, His Excellency President Bio should be appreciated by all. He has rekindled that passion into the work that every good staff looks up to him. The story of AML/CFT/PF in Sierra Leone can never be complete without the name David N. Borbor. He towers above petty skirmishes and personal shenanigans.
Credit – NRA & Outreach Division
