New Fact Sheet: Empowering Journalists to Combat Financial Crime in Belize
New Fact Sheet: Empowering Journalists to Combat Financial Crime in Belize
Mon., May 12, 2025 – Today, the Belize Network of NGOs (BNN) and Global Financial Integrity (GFI) released a new fact sheet for journalists: “Preventing Financial Crime in Belize.” This essential resource is designed specifically for Belizean journalists and provides critical insights into how illicit funds are concealed by professional gatekeepers such as lawyers, accountants, financial advisors, and real estate agents.
These “professional enablers” play a key role in money laundering, tax evasion, and hiding the proceeds of corruption.
This fact sheet emphasizes that investigative journalism is a powerful tool in combating illegal financial flows (IFF) in Belize.
Bad actors have thrived by using Belize as a jurisdiction for offshore financial secrecy, as highlighted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ (ICIJ’s) Panama and Pandora Papers. These journalistic studies expose the country as a hotspot for financial crime.
When journalists are equipped with knowledge and tools, their job to shed light on these issues and promote greater transparency and accountability in society is bolstered.