The existing Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Proclamation enacted three years ago is set to be replaced by a draft legislation, which was tabled before Parliament this week. Unlike the law currently in force, the draft stipulates severe mechanisms to control financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions such as independent lawyers, accountants and others.
Extra and broad definitions on terrorism acts other than those provided for in the 2009 anti-terrorism proclamation are incorporated in the draft law.
“Whosoever or a group intending to advance political, religious, ideological cause by coercing the government, intimidating the public, or sections of the public or destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional or economic … social institutions of the country” is the general definition given to terrorist acts under the anti-terrorism proclamation. This definition had limited the scope of the crime committed in the country’s territory.
But, the bill discussed in Parliament this week and referred to the Budget and Finance Affairs Standing Committee of the House for further reading, ascribes a broad meaning to terrorism acts.
“An act, whether occurring in Ethiopia or elsewhere, which constitutes an offense within the scope of, and as defined in one of the treaties listed in to the annex to the 1999 International Convention for Suppression of Financing of Terrorism” is penned in the draft as what constitutes an act of terrorism.
Hence, any other act occurring elsewhere intending to cause death or serious injury to civilians or any other person with a purpose to intimidate the population or to compel governments or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any of its activities shall be deemed to be a terrorist act, according to the draft bill.
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