Sierra Leone KYC, KYB & AML compliance checklist
Une checklist pratique et sourcée pour mettre en œuvre les exigences KYC, KYB et AML en Sierra Leone.
- Dernière revue
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- Version
- Version 1.0
Réponse directe
Que couvre la checklist de conformité pour Sierra Leone ?
La checklist pour Sierra Leone traduit les principales règles KYC, KYB et AML en 11 domaines de contrôle et 38 contrôles d’implémentation, avec les autorités, obligations de déclaration et preuves à conserver.
Faits réglementaires clés
- Primary AML/CFT/CPF law
- Act 4 of 2024, Gazette 44 of 6 June 2024
- Financial intelligence unit
- Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA)
- STR timing
- As soon as practicable and no later than two days after suspicion or information
- Occasional-transaction CDD
- SLE 30,000 or more, including linked transactions within 24 hours
- Wire-transfer CDD
- SLE 3,000 or more for domestic or international wires
- Core AML retention
- At least five years, with the start event determined by record class
- Sanctions asset report
- As soon as reasonably practicable and within two working days under section 42
- Beneficial ownership
- Natural persons who ultimately own/control or exercise ultimate effective control; no universal AML percentage
- Payments and VASPs
- Activity-specific BSL or relevant-supervisor authority required before operations
- FATF public lists
- Not named in FATF statements dated 19 June 2026; GIABA enhanced follow-up continues
Détail d’implémentation
Exigences et actions de conformité pour Sierra Leone
Ouvrez chaque domaine pour consulter l’exigence, l’action recommandée, les preuves à conserver et la source primaire utilisée.
01Scope, authorities and regulated activitiesResolve entity, activity and supervisor scope before launch.3 éléments+
Financial institutions and listed DNFBPs are reporting entities under the 2024 Act.
- Action d’implémentation
- Map each entity, product, profession, branch, agent and outsourced service to the First Schedule and its supervisor.
- Preuves à conserver
- Perimeter memorandum, entity-product map, licences and supervisor register.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.1-2 and First Schedule
The FIA receives, analyses and disseminates reports and may issue binding guidelines and directives.
- Action d’implémentation
- Register compliance contacts and obtain the current FIA reporting access, formats and instructions.
- Preuves à conserver
- FIA correspondence, access records, contacts and regulatory calendar.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.3, 20 and 167
Payment services, money transmission, financial services and VASP activity require applicable authority before operations.
- Action d’implémentation
- Obtain a written BSL or relevant-supervisor perimeter decision and every licence or registration before pilot or launch.
- Preuves à conserver
- Classification, application, licence, conditions and approved product map.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.59 and 103; National Payment Systems Act 2022
02Governance, risk assessment and control ownershipBuild documented, risk-based and accountable controls.3 éléments+
Reporting entities identify and assess customer, product, delivery, geography and technology risks and apply mitigation.
- Action d’implémentation
- Maintain enterprise, product and customer risk assessments and assess new products before launch.
- Preuves à conserver
- Methodology, assessments, approvals, overrides and remediation.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.51-53
Risk assessments are refreshed on events and at the Act's risk-tier intervals and submitted after completion.
- Action d’implémentation
- Confirm the applicable tier, calendar the statutory review and one-calendar-month submission, and preserve receipts.
- Preuves à conserver
- Risk classification, calendar, assessment, submission and receipt.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.53(1)-(3)
A senior compliance officer and internal AML/CFT/CPF programme, training and independent assurance are required.
- Action d’implémentation
- Appoint an empowered officer, approve procedures, train relevant staff and test the lifecycle.
- Preuves à conserver
- Appointment, charter, procedures, training and audit reports.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.70-72, 159-160
03Natural-person identification and CDDApply every statutory trigger without treating thresholds as safe harbours.4 éléments+
Identity verification applies at account or relationship opening, SLE 30,000 occasional activity, SLE 3,000 wires, suspicion and identity doubt.
- Action d’implémentation
- Configure all triggers, including linked occasional transactions within 24 hours and amount-independent suspicion.
- Preuves à conserver
- Trigger matrix, aggregation tests, cases and exceptions.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.55-56 and 60
Natural persons are verified from reliable independent official documents and address evidence.
- Action d’implémentation
- Capture and authenticate identity, address, occupation and national-identification or passport evidence.
- Preuves à conserver
- Identity file, authenticity result, address proof and screening decision.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.56(1)-(2), 57(3)(c)
Purpose, intended nature, expected activity and source/destination information are understood proportionately.
- Action d’implémentation
- Create an expected-activity profile and investigate material deviations.
- Preuves à conserver
- Purpose statement, profile, source evidence, alerts and reviews.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.55, 57(3), 68
Deferred verification is exceptional, risk-controlled and cannot exceed two calendar months.
- Action d’implémentation
- Restrict activity, set a shorter completion SLA and close or consider an STR if evidence remains incomplete.
- Preuves à conserver
- Exception approval, restrictions, completion or closure and STR decision.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.57(6)-(8)
04KYB, authority and beneficial ownershipVerify existence, authority and ultimate natural-person ownership or control.4 éléments+
Legal-entity CDD verifies legal existence, registered office, directors, powers, owners, beneficiaries and control structure.
- Action d’implémentation
- Obtain current NIB evidence and constitutive records and reconcile directors, mandates and ownership.
- Preuves à conserver
- Registry extract, certificate, constitution, annual return, directors and discrepancy log.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.1, 56(3)-(4), 57(3)(d)
Representatives require verified identity and authority.
- Action d’implémentation
- Verify each representative separately and validate the mandate before activity.
- Preuves à conserver
- Identity file, mandate, board authority and verification result.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.55(5)(a), 57(3)(d)(iii)
Beneficial owners are natural persons who ultimately own or control or exercise ultimate effective control.
- Action d’implémentation
- Trace every ownership layer, test non-ownership control and verify each identified natural person without inventing a universal percentage.
- Preuves à conserver
- Ownership chart, source records, control analysis and BO identity files.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.1 definitions of beneficial owner and customer due diligence; s.57
Trust information covers settlor, trustees, protector, beneficiaries or class and every natural person exercising ultimate effective control.
- Action d’implémentation
- Verify the trust instrument, roles, powers and relevant natural persons.
- Preuves à conserver
- Trust deed, role register, control analysis and identity files.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.57(13)
05PEPs, enhanced due diligence and remote onboardingApply stronger controls to higher risk and non-face-to-face relationships.4 éléments+
Systems determine whether customers, beneficial owners and relevant insurance beneficiaries are PEPs.
- Action d’implémentation
- Screen before activation and continuously and resolve family and close-associate exposure.
- Preuves à conserver
- Screening, match decision, role and relationship evidence.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.1 and 63
PEPs require senior-management approval, reasonable source-of-wealth and source-of-funds measures and enhanced monitoring.
- Action d’implémentation
- Corroborate source evidence, document approval and configure enhanced monitoring.
- Preuves à conserver
- Source file, approval, monitoring plan and reviews.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.63
Remote CDD must be no less effective than in-person CDD and use additional independent or confirmatory evidence.
- Action d’implémentation
- Use document-integrity, liveness/presence, independent-data, device and fraud controls proportionate to risk.
- Preuves à conserver
- Remote standard, test results, fraud logs and exceptions.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.62
Third-party reliance does not transfer ultimate responsibility and requires immediate information and documents without delay.
- Action d’implémentation
- Assess supervision and jurisdiction, contract for access and test document retrieval.
- Preuves à conserver
- Due diligence, agreement, retrieval tests and monitoring.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.61
06Failed CDD, monitoring and suspicious reportingBlock unsafe activity and report suspicion promptly and confidentially.5 éléments+
Failed CDD prevents account establishment or continuation and may require an STR.
- Action d’implémentation
- Block activation or terminate under controlled procedures and send the case to confidential reporting review.
- Preuves à conserver
- Failure reason, block, closure, STR decision and receipt.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.55(6), 57(2), 65, 153
Ongoing monitoring keeps customer and BO information current and examines complex, unusual and large activity.
- Action d’implémentation
- Configure risk and event refresh, transaction scenarios and documented investigation of unusual activity.
- Preuves à conserver
- Refresh schedule, alerts, cases, findings and updated CDD.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.68 and 53(4)
Suspected transactions, attempts, information or facts linked to ML, TF or PF are reportable to FIA.
- Action d’implémentation
- Escalate immediately, preserve the suspicion timestamp and submit the prescribed STR.
- Preuves à conserver
- Internal report, analysis, STR, receipt and timeline.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.76-78
An STR is due as soon as practicable and no later than two days after suspicion or information.
- Action d’implémentation
- Use a shorter internal SLA measured from the recorded formation or receipt time.
- Preuves à conserver
- Trigger timestamp, approval, submission time and SLA monitoring.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.76(1)
Tipping off is prohibited and good-faith reporting is protected.
- Action d’implémentation
- Restrict access and govern customer communications and lawful disclosures.
- Preuves à conserver
- Access logs, communication plan, training and disclosure register.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.80-83
07Wires, thresholds, payments and agentsKeep CDD, internal lists and FIA-prescribed reports distinct.4 éléments+
Wire transfers carry required originator and beneficiary information and deficient messages require governed action.
- Action d’implémentation
- Validate fields through the chain and execute, reject, suspend or report under risk-based procedures.
- Preuves à conserver
- Field matrix, validation, repair/reject queue and samples.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.67 and 69
The Act requires an internal list for currency-exchange and money-transmission cash transactions of SLE 3,000 or more.
- Action d’implémentation
- Maintain the list and do not misstate it as a universal FIA filing threshold; apply current FIA cash/foreign-report thresholds separately.
- Preuves à conserver
- Scope memo, internal list, FIA directive and report receipts.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.66(4) and 76(6)
Licensed payment providers and operators comply with AML rules and ensure agent compliance.
- Action d’implémentation
- Include agents in the programme, maintain a current list and monitor outsourced controls.
- Preuves à conserver
- Licence, agent register, contracts, monitoring and remediation.
- Source primaire
- National Payment Systems Act 2022, ss.22 and 36; 2024 Act, ss.59(4), 69(13)
VASPs must identify risks, obtain relevant-supervisor registration and licence before operating and transmit originator/beneficiary information.
- Action d’implémentation
- Do not launch until the competent supervisor confirms perimeter, authority and transfer-data requirements.
- Preuves à conserver
- Legal classification, registration, licence, travel-rule design and tests.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.103
08Targeted financial sanctionsScreen current domestic, UN and ECOWAS designations and act promptly.3 éléments+
Business relationships and dealings with sanctioned persons, entities, groups and specified sanctioned-country interests are prohibited.
- Action d’implémentation
- Screen customers, BOs, representatives, counterparties, vessels and transactions at onboarding and list change.
- Preuves à conserver
- List provenance, screening logs, match decisions and population reconciliation.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.35-39
Suspected sanctioned ownership or control is referred immediately in writing to the Director-General or competent authority.
- Action d’implémentation
- Maintain a 24/7 escalation route, hold relevant activity and seek written verification without alerting the subject.
- Preuves à conserver
- Match analysis, request, hold and response.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.41
Assets held for sanctioned persons or entities are reported as soon as reasonably practicable and within two working days.
- Action d’implémentation
- Inventory affected assets and report through the current FIA or competent-authority procedure.
- Preuves à conserver
- Asset inventory, trigger time, report and receipt.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.42
09Records, access and assuranceRetain reconstructable evidence under the correct clock.3 éléments+
CDD, transaction, unusual-activity findings and STR records are kept for at least five years under class-specific clocks.
- Action d’implémentation
- Map each record class to transaction completion, relationship end or report date and apply legal holds.
- Preuves à conserver
- Retention schedule, configuration, samples and deletion tests.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.66
Records must reconstruct transactions and be immediately or swiftly available to FIA and competent authorities.
- Action d’implémentation
- Index linked identity, transaction, investigation and reporting evidence and test retrieval.
- Preuves à conserver
- Request register, retrieval tests, access controls and response package.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, ss.66 and 69(11)
Governed backups and authentication are required for machine-readable or electronic records.
- Action d’implémentation
- Test backup, recovery, integrity and authorised access for the full retention period.
- Preuves à conserver
- Architecture, backup tests, audit logs and recovery evidence.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, s.66(5)
10Privacy, identity data and transfersApply verified sector rules and cautious data governance while national privacy law remains in transition.3 éléments+
Payment providers process and retain necessary personal data and follow statutory consent, fraud-prevention and disclosure rules.
- Action d’implémentation
- Document necessity and permissions, minimise fields and prohibit unauthorised sale or sharing.
- Preuves à conserver
- Data inventory, notices, permissions, access logs and sharing register.
- Source primaire
- National Payment Systems Act 2022, s.21
Sensitive identity and biometric processing requires documented necessity, security and access governance even where no comprehensive statute is asserted.
- Action d’implémentation
- Complete legal, privacy and security assessments before biometric use and contractually control processors.
- Preuves à conserver
- Assessment, data flow, access controls, testing and vendor assurance.
- Source primaire
- Recommended control; sector duties and applicable law must be confirmed
Cross-border transfers, incidents and deletion require a verified legal basis and sector procedure.
- Action d’implémentation
- Confirm current Sierra Leone requirements with counsel and regulators before implementation; do not invent a notification deadline.
- Preuves à conserver
- Legal memo, transfer map, incident playbook, contracts and decisions.
- Source primaire
- Controlled uncertainty; National Payment Systems Act 2022, s.21 where applicable
11Practical evidence packs and change controlMake decisions reconstructable and keep time-sensitive rules current.2 éléments+
A complete customer file links identity, KYB, ownership, screening, risk, approval, monitoring and reporting decisions.
- Action d’implémentation
- Block activation when mandatory evidence or approval is missing and preserve the release decision.
- Preuves à conserver
- Control checklist, linked file, approvals and release log.
- Source primaire
- 2024 Act, Part IX
FIA directives, thresholds, sanctions lists, FATF status, company law, licensing and privacy requirements require ongoing monitoring.
- Action d’implémentation
- Assign owners and review FIA, BSL, NIB, Gazette, FATF and GIABA sources on a governed schedule.
- Preuves à conserver
- Legal inventory, source log, change assessments and implementation tickets.
- Source primaire
- Official sources listed below
Registre des sources primaires
10 sources utilisées pour cette checklist
Utilisez ces liens pour vérifier la législation, les lignes directrices, les procédures de déclaration et les statuts internationaux.
- AML/CFT/CPF Act, 2024 (Act 4 of 2024)Sierra Leone Gazette text via SierraLII · Primary legislation reproduction
- National Payment Systems Act, 2022Sierra Leone Gazette text via SierraLII · Primary legislation reproduction
- Bank of Sierra LeoneBank of Sierra Leone · Official regulator
- BSL legislation and regulatory frameworkBank of Sierra Leone · Official regulator
- National Investment Board Act, 2022Sierra Leone Gazette text via SierraLII · Primary legislation reproduction
- NIB business registration and corporate affairsNational Investment Board · Official company registry guidance
- NIB business forms including beneficial ownershipNational Investment Board · Official company registry guidance
- Sierra Leone fifth enhanced follow-up report, 2025GIABA · Authoritative regional assessment
- Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring - 19 June 2026FATF · Authoritative public statement
- High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action - 19 June 2026FATF · Authoritative public statement
Réponses directes
Questions KYC, KYB et AML pour Sierra Leone
Who receives suspicious transaction reports in Sierra Leone?+
The Financial Intelligence Agency. Use its current prescribed form and channel.
When is an STR due?+
As soon as practicable and no later than two days after forming suspicion or receiving the relevant information.
When does occasional-transaction CDD apply?+
At SLE 30,000 or more, including apparently linked transactions within 24 hours; suspicion and identity doubt apply regardless of amount.
Does Sierra Leone use one AML beneficial-ownership percentage?+
The 2024 Act's AML definition does not state one universal percentage. Identify natural persons who ultimately own or control or exercise ultimate effective control.
How long are core AML records kept?+
At least five years, with the start event depending on the record class.
Are payment or virtual-asset services permitted by company registration alone?+
No. Obtain the applicable BSL or relevant-supervisor classification, registration and licence before operations.
How quickly are sanctioned assets reported?+
As soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within two working days under section 42, using the current competent-authority procedure.
Is Sierra Leone on a FATF public list?+
Sierra Leone was not named in FATF's public statements dated 19 June 2026. GIABA enhanced follow-up is a separate peer-review process.
Méthode de recherche et de revue
VOVE ID Compliance Research cartographie le périmètre réglementaire, traduit les obligations en contrôles opérationnels, relie les affirmations importantes aux sources et date chaque revue.
This checklist is general regulatory information, not legal advice or a licence determination. It reflects sources reviewed on 18 July 2026. Confirm FIA directives, reporting channels and threshold-report specifications; BSL licensing and product conditions; NIB company-law commencement, forms and beneficial-ownership procedures; sanctions instructions; and applicable privacy requirements with Sierra Leone counsel and the competent authority before launch. VOVE ID supports evidence collection and audit trails; the reporting entity remains responsible for acceptance, reporting, restraint and compliance decisions.