Bryan Eiseb has been appointed as the new Director of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), effective from January next year.
Eiseb will become the second Director of the FIC since its establishment in 2007, taking over the role which became vacant in December 2021 following the appointment of Leonie Dunn as the Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Namibia (BoN).
Dunn’s appointment was part of an organizational restructuring approved by the central bank’s board, resulting in a series of senior-level staff changes.
Currently serving as the Exchange Control and Legal Services Director with the Bank of Namibia, Eiseb is seconded to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, where he holds the position of Acting Executive Director.
The secondment is expected to conclude in November of this year.
“As the Head of the FIC, Mr. Eiseb will play a pivotal role in driving and coordinating the success of the new regime, ensuring the FIC is well-prepared to meet the demands of Namibia’s overhauled AML/CFT/CPF regulations and expectations driven by a dynamic operating environment,” said Johannes !Gawaxab, Chairperson of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorist and Proliferation Council.
“Mr. Eiseb assumes his role at a critical juncture following the 2022 Financial Action Task Force Mutual Evaluation. Going forward, Namibia is expected to demonstrate its effectiveness in preventing and combatting ML/TF/PF, as evidenced by successful investigations and prosecutions of high-risk cases and other profit-generating crimes. The recent promulgation of the FIA marks a new era for the FIC, ensuring its operational independence and autonomy. These changes will empower the FIC to fulfill its mandate under the Council’s AML/CFT/CPF policy guidance, supported by effective governance through an independent board of directors.”
Gerrit Eiman, the Deputy Director in the FIC responsible for Financial Investigations and Analysis, as well as Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial Support, has been serving as the Acting Director since January last year.
The FIC serves as Namibia’s national center responsible for various functions, including those related to the Financial Intelligence Unit and the prevention and combatting of Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Proliferation Financing (ML/TF/PF) activities under the AML/CFT/CPF framework.
Under the Financial Intelligence Act, 2023 (FIA), the FIC’s primary responsibility is to uphold the integrity of the Namibian financial system by preventing the misuse of the system for ML/TF/PF activities. By executing this mandate effectively, the FIC contributes to the stability and credibility of the financial system.
Eiseb also serves as the Chairperson of the Namib Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA) and the Namibia Institute of Pathology.
