International Anti-Corruption Commitments

Title of the document

ECOWAS Protocol on the Fight against Corruption

(https://eos.cartercenter.org/u...)

Issuing body

Economic Community of Western African States

Brief description

The Protocol on the Fight against Corruption was adopted by ECOWAS member states in 2001, but faced challenges in reaching the required threshold to come into force until 2019

Relevant excerpts

Article 7: Laundering of proceeds of corruption and similar criminal offences

1. Each State Party shall adopt, in accordance with the fundamental principles of its national law, such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to establish as criminal offences:

(a) (i) The conversion or transfer of assets, knowing that such assets are the proceeds of crime, for the purpose of concealing the illicit origin of the assets or of helping any person who is involved in the commission of the predicate offence to evade the legal consequences of his or her action;

(ii) The concealment of the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of or rights with respect to assets, knowing that such assets are the proceeds of crime;

(b) Subject to the basic concepts of its legal system:

(i) The acquisition, possession or use of assets, knowing at the time of receipt, that such assets are the proceeds of crime;

(ii) Participation in, association with or conspiracy to commit, attempts to commit, aiding and abetting in facilitating and concealing the commission of any of the offences established in accordance with this article.