Alban Genais will interim head Tracfin, the financial intelligence unit attached to the Ministry of the Economy, replacing Guillaume Valette-Valla, the government announced on Wednesday.
The functions were terminated at his request, according to the report of the Council of Ministers, a few days after an article from the online media L’Inform citing a very critical internal report on his management of the French anti-money laundering service.
The media mentions burn-out, repeated sick leave and an exceptionally high employee departure and replacement rate.
Mr. Valette-Valla again defended at the end of January, in the European Parliament, the candidacy of Paris to host the future European authority for the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism (AMLA) and its some 250 employees.
If France has highlighted potential synergies with other agencies based in the capital – the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) already responsible for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, the European Financial Markets Authority (ESMA ), the European Banking Authority (EBA) and the OECD – it is ultimately Frankfurt in Germany that the AMLA (Anti-money laundering authority) will be based.
The council of ministers also appointed on Wednesday the current director general of Customs, Isabelle Braun-Lemaire, interministerial delegate to the senior management of the State – the HR department of senior civil servants – replacing Emilie Piette, whose departure had been announced in December.
Jean-Franois Dutheil, director of customs services, takes over as interim head of Customs.