“Remember what it was like to be on the grey list, and avoid that fate”

In an exclusive interview with BIZWEEK (bizweek.mu), Tom Keatinge, Director of the Centre for Finance and Security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), discusses the expectations of the Financial Action Task Force, the challenges faced by Mauritius in its assessment, North Korea’s influence on financial centres in Sub-Saharan Africa, and issues pertaining to cryptocurrencies, virtual assets, and illicit finance in elections. He also addresses the financing of the Russia-Ukraine war and the stance of the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump. Our guest also shares his journey from being an investment banker at JP Morgan to becoming an expert at RUSI, one of the world’s oldest defence and security think tanks, and a leader in its field in the UK. Tom Keatinge visited Mauritius with other RUSI experts for a two-day workshop at the Financial Services Commission (FSC) on addressing risks and safeguarding financial systems from illicit trade networks and proliferation financing. This programme is funded by the British High Commission of Mauritius.