Cybercrime agreement: Hopes pinned on greylisting improvement
A signed cooperation with the French to beef up the SIU's cyber forensic investigation capacity will help prosecute cyber-related crimes, and address the country's greylisted status.
FILE: Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola and Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, sign a cooperation protocol agreement to improve the country's cyber forensic capabilities. Picture: Twitter/@GovernmentZA
JOHANNESBURG - There are hopes that the recent agreement between South Africa and France on cyber investigations will help address the country’s greylisting.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola signed a cooperation with French foreign affairs minister Catherine Colonna on Monday to beef up the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) cyber forensic investigation capacity.
The three-year agreement will see the French help South Africa set up an anti-corruption academy in Pretoria to train SIU investigators in cybercrime, and provide a technical expert.
The country, which runs its own expert cybercrime center, will also give South Africa all its data for free to strengthen the capacity of the SIU.
In February, South Africa was greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering and other financial crimes.
Officials said the cyber forensic programme would address these concerns.
“The signing of this agreement comes as South Africa remains greylisted by the financial action task force for not fully complying with international standards around the prevention of money laundering and other financial crimes,” SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago.
Justice department spokesperson Chrispen Phiri said it would allow the country to prosecute cyber-related crimes.
“The agreement is definitely orientated towards improving South Africa's capacity to investigate crimes, which ordinarily would also include money laundering crimes. This would improve the capacity to prosecute such crimes when they arise.”
While 22 investigators have already been trained in cyber investigations, the SIU said there were plans to have the anti-corruption academy up and running by the end of the year.