BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is extending its robust toolkit for combating corruption to partners in the Caribbean, through new mechanisms that can support the region’s fight against illicit financial activities and governance challenges.

“Corruption undermines democratic values, weakens the rule of law, and reduces public confidence in governing institutions,” said Eugene Wu, the chief of the FBI’s International Corruption Unit.

“The FBI has developed advanced tools and strategic partnerships that can help nations, including those in the Caribbean, tackle corruption and recover illicit assets effectively,” he told a Caribbean Development Bank’s (CDB) Expert Forum on Corruption in the Age of AI, earlier this week.

Wu spoke of the FBI’s recent advancements, including the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), enacted in 2023, which enables the prosecution of foreign officials soliciting bribes from US companies, as well as addressing the “demand” side of bribery and strengthening accountability for corrupt practices worldwide.

He said the bureau has also launched a pilot programme offering whistleblower awards to individuals who report corporate violations, significantly bolstering its ability to uncover corruption.

Additionally, the FBI’s Transnational Anti-Corruption Partnership (TAP) Programme deploys advisors in key global locations to mentor law enforcement agencies, including capacity-building initiatives that Caribbean nations could access.

Wu said that collaborations like the International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre (IACCC), with members from countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United States, offer Caribbean agencies intelligence-sharing opportunities to identify and prosecute corruption.

To date, the IACCC has helped identify over US$1.8 billion in hidden assets and restrained US $6 billion globally.

“Caribbean countries can leverage these programmes to strengthen their governance frameworks and safeguard their economic stability,” Wu said, adding “the FBI remains committed to supporting its partners in the global fight against corruption through shared intelligence, training, and investigative resources”.

CDB’s Expert Forum on Anti-Corruption in the Age of AI explored the role of AI in enhancing anti-corruption efforts, governance, and compliance.

The virtual event formed part of CDB’s ongoing thrust to strengthen good governance and anti-corruption frameworks in its Borrowing Member Countries (BMC) through training and capacity-building initiatives.

Participants in the forum included public sector professionals, legal practitioners, law enforcers, private sector stakeholders, and youth from across the Caribbean. The CDB’s Office of Integrity, Compliance and Accountability (ICA) has previously collaborated with the FBI and other global partners on conferences and training programmes to bolster anti-corruption efforts across the region.