The Tripoli based Ministry of Interior announced yesterday that it organized a specialized workshop last Monday (19 October) titled "Virtual Assets: Between Regulation and Criminalization."
The Ministry said the workshop comes in preparation for the mutual evaluation process that Libya will undergo by the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).
The event was attended by Major General Abdul-Wahid Abdul-Samad, Director of the Minister of Interior’s Office and Head of the Ministry’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Office. It also saw the participation of representatives from various national institutions, sovereign, security, and financial bodies, as well as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Participating entities included the Prime Minister’s Office, the Central Bank of Libya, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Audit Bureau, the Legal Affairs Department, the Libyan Financial Information Unit, the Internal Security Agency, the General Information Authority, the Libyan Post Telecommunications & Information Technology Company (LPTIC), the Stock Market, the National Economic and Social Development Board, the Libyan Technology Foundation, and several other relevant institutions and authorities.
The workshop addressed the legal, security, and financial aspects of virtual assets and digital currencies, the risks of their exploitation in money laundering and terrorist financing, and ways to develop legislation and enhance institutional coordination.
The Ministry said these efforts aim to strengthen compliance with international standards, protect the national economy, and combat emerging financial crimes.