- 10 Marks
AAA – Nov 2024 – L3 – Q5b – Anti-Money Laundering Regulations and Auditor Responsibilities
Discuss anti-money laundering regulations in Ghana and auditors' responsibilities in compliance.
Question
Lamsey Jewelers is a family-owned business specializing in high-end jewellery, located in Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region of Ghana. The company sources gold from various suppliers in the small-scale mining sector. Recently, the Minerals Commission received anonymous tips suggesting that Lamsey Jewelers may be involved in laundering money through its operations. Authorities suspect that the business could be used to conceal the origins of illicit funds through gold purchases and sales.
To investigate these suspicions, regulatory authorities have appointed Baba Yara and Associates, an independent auditing firm, to conduct a thorough review of Lamsey Jewelers’ operations and financial transactions. During the audit, Baba Yara and Associates discovered that Lamsey Jewelers has been accepting large cash payments for custom jewellery orders without conducting proper due diligence on the customers. Several transactions involving cash payments exceed typical retail amounts, raising suspicions of potential money laundering.
Required:
i) Discuss the key legal and regulatory requirements in Ghana related to anti-money laundering relevant to Lamsey Jewelers.
ii) Discuss the obligations placed on professional firms such as Baba Yara and Associates in relation to money laundering.
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