'No proceeds from crime' - Kingfish boss hails Proceeds of Crime Bill
February 24, 2007
Head of Operation Kingfish, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Glenmore Hinds, yesterday hailed the passage of the Proceeds of Crime Bill in the Senate, noting that the legislation would assist the police in targeting the major organised criminal networks in Jamaica.
He told The Gleaner that where there was evidence that property had been acquired from the proceeds of crime, the law enforcement agencies would be "leveraging the powers that the legislation gives us as it relates to taking the proceeds out of crime."
After the killing of Jamaica's most wanted man, Donovan 'Bulby' Bennett, in late 2005, the police revealed that the former leader of the Spanish Town-based Clansman gang was the owner of five houses - two in St. Catherine, two in Clarendon and one in Canada. It was also revealed that his $100 million empire included 85 motor vehicles.
ACP Hinds said yesterday that investigations were continuing into the matter and the authorities were "working against the property in terms of tax assessments".
Further inroads
He said, however, that with the passage of the bill, the police would be making efforts to forfeit the assets of Bennett. "If there are provisions that will allow us to make even further inroads, certainly we will be more than willing to apply these provisions."
After two days of rigorous debate, the Senate yesterday passed the landmark bill which has at its aim the removing of profit from criminal activity.
The proposed law, which was subject to extensive review by a joint select committee of Parliament over a one-year period, will now provide an effective mechanism for forfeiting the proceeds of crime and also for preventing money laundering.
A.J. Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, said the new forfeiture regime encompassed both criminal forfeiture proceedings after a conviction, and civil forfeiture proceedings in the absence of a criminal conviction.
He pointed out that the court could order the forfeiture of any property, which was obtained through unlawful conduct, but no one had to be convicted or even charged with an offence.
Yesterday's debate on the bill was not without controversy as Mr. Nicholson criticised Opposition Senator Dr. Christopher Tufton's remarks about money laundering.
Senator Nicholson said it was not appropriate to suggest that political parties were involved in money laundering.
"It is not nice with respect to sending innuendoes out there in the public that a political party that is in government and others (are) mixed up in money laundering," said Nicholson....
Author: Edmond Campbell
Source: Jamaica Gleaner
