All media are requested to complete the Media Contact Form to log a query with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC). Every attempt will be made by the FIC to respond to queries within reasonable time frames.
Before submitting a query, please read the media engagement approach below.
CLICK HERE to submit a media query.
MEDIA ENGAGEMENT APPROACH
As South Africa's national financial intelligence unit, the FIC is responsible for producing financial intelligence. The FIC is responsible for administering the framework for assisting in combating money laundering, and the financing of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. The FIC was established through the promulgation of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, 2001 (Act 38 of 2001).
The FIC raises awareness on compliance requirements among institutions that are required to submit reports to it. Along with industry sector supervisory bodies, the FIC oversees that financial and other institutions comply with the FIC Act.
Among the obligations of institutions required to report to the FIC are the registration with the FIC and the submission of various regulatory reports. The FIC uses the information reported to it as the basis for its analysis and development of financial intelligence reports.
The FIC shares the products of its analysis with a range of competent authorities including law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, the South African Revenue Service and supervisory bodies. The information shared by the FIC assists these authorities in discharging their responsibilities by, for example, enabling them to conduct investigations, prosecutions and applications for the forfeiture of assets. The FIC does not itself conduct investigations.
In responding to media queries, the FIC is only able to provide broad information about its oversight role and function. It is not able to comment on the work of the supervisory bodies nor that of the competent authorities, which are independent of the FIC.
Furthermore, confidentiality requirements, emanating from the FIC Act and the nature of its work prevent the FIC from:
- Disclosing or denying whether reports on specific persons have or have not been made to the FIC
- Disclosing or denying whether the FIC has or has not supplied information on specific persons or organisations to investigating authorities or any other partners or counterparts
- Confirming or denying whether it has received information or requests for information
- Confirming or denying whether a matter is or is not being investigated
- Confirming or denying whether a report has or has not been prepared on a particular matter.
- Any disclosure related to the above would be contrary to the provisions of the FIC Act and could put at risk the FIC, its partners, institutions that report to it, persons who report information to the FIC and any other persons or entities concerned.